Lucky Strike 1987

Here's Keith Haring's “Lucky Strike,” made sometime around 1987 with bold lines and bright colors. Haring, a downtown New York artist, used these hard lines to create an image of a smoking deity, a kind of modern-day icon. I’m picturing Keith making this; maybe he’s thinking about the commodification of rebellion, using the cigarette as a symbol for both pleasure and self-destruction. The thick, graphic quality makes it feel urgent, like he’s trying to communicate something essential, maybe even dangerous. The way the smoke curls and loops suggests a kind of energy, a restless spirit. You see echoes of artists like Warhol or even, dare I say, the bold simplicity of Matisse. It’s like Haring’s saying, "Hey, we're all connected, all riffing off each other." Painting isn't just about what’s on the canvas. It's about feeling, thinking, and being present in the world.