Monkey Man 1983

Keith Haring made this wonderfully playful ‘Monkey Man’ with what looks like a thick marker pen on paper. I love the boldness of these thick black lines against the white ground. It feels so immediate, like he’s captured a fleeting thought or observation. I can imagine Haring, pen in hand, just letting this figure flow out of him – no hesitation, no second-guessing. Look at the way the lines curve and wiggle, creating this sense of movement and energy. The monkey’s tail loops around like a playful question mark, almost inviting us to join in the fun. It’s like a dance, or a visual poem, capturing the essence of this figure. Haring was so good at distilling complex ideas into simple, accessible forms, following in the footsteps of artists like Miró, and Picasso. His work reminds us that art doesn't have to be complicated to be profound, and that sometimes, the simplest gestures can speak the loudest.