Lot #1639: KEITH HARING - Crack Down! - Colored inks on fabric

Artist: Keith Haring (American, 1958 - 1990).
Title: "Crack Down! [pelon]".
Medium: Colored inks on fabric.
Date: Composed 1986.
Dimensions: Overall size: 19 3/4 x 16 in. (502 x 406 mm).
Lot Note(s): Signed in black marker, upper left; signed and dated in the matrix. Wide margins. Fine impression with vibrant colors. Condition: fine; trimmed a bit irregularly "as issued.". Literature/catalogue raisonne: Gundel/von der Osten 40 for the poster. Comment(s): Extremely rare. No auction records located. Pelons themselves are very rare "practice pieces" for early t-shirt designs. Before production was initiated the image or design was tested on cotton cloth or burlap to determine the color and line accuracy of the piece. The earlier examples, those dating from the 1970s, are generally the only pelons run on burlap. Few of these "tests" were preserved once the design was deemed acceptable and the shirt went into production. The image for the pelon is identical to that of the image for the poster created by Haring (with the exception of the background color, which is mustard yellow in the pelon) at the request of the concert promoter Bill Graham. Graham revisited his old Bronx neighborhood in August of 1986 and, appalled to see that drugs had effectively wiped out the local culture, foresaw a menacing problem in the crack craze. He teamed with David Maldonado to stage a Crack Benefit in the city, but scaled back plans several times since few shared his apprehension. Ultimately, two concerts were held, one at Madison Square Garden on October 31st and the other, an all-Latin show at the Felt Forum, the following night. Image copyright © The Keith Haring Foundation. [28366-4-800]