The Tree of Monkeys 1984

Keith Haring painted this ‘Tree of Monkeys’ sometime in his short but productive life using bold, flat, graphic colors to make a striking image. The thing about Haring’s work is, it’s all about the line. Look how he uses black outlines to define each figure, giving them a cartoonish, almost graffiti-like quality. The monkeys, rendered in playful pink, are frozen mid-action, clinging to branches, cavorting in pairs. Each branch is marked with small leaf shapes, like a rhythmic series of brushstrokes. The marks create both a sense of depth and a decorative pattern. The background is a sea-green that makes the pink monkeys and the yellow tree pop. It’s not about realism, it’s about energy, rhythm, and joy. Haring’s work is often compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat for its street art origins and social commentary. Haring once said that art is for everyone. This painting is a great example of that sentiment, art that embraces simplicity, yet speaks volumes.