Keith Haring

KEITH HARING (United States 1958 -1990)
"Signed letter addressed to Liam Thompson," 1985.
Typewritten paper.
Attached certificate of authenticity issued by Sotheby's in 1992.
Features logo and watermark and includes original envelope.
Hand signed by the artist.
Measurements: 28,3 x 21 cm.
Provenance: Private collection, France (includes Sotheby's invoice dated May 29, 1992 for $2,045.92) / Sothebys "Contemporary Art" Auction Lot 251, May 1992.
In the 1980s, when contemporary art began to decisively dissolve the boundaries between work, gesture and everyday life, Keith Haring turned even private correspondence into a space for creation and identity affirmation. This Signed Letter, dated March 29, 1985 and addressed to Liam Thompson, is fully inscribed in that context: it is not only a personal document, but a direct testimony of the artistic and communicative practice of one of the most influential creators of 20th century American art.
The letter is typed on a sheet that incorporates the logo and watermark of the famous radiant baby, a central icon of Haring's visual vocabulary and emblem of his immediate, optimistic and universal graphic language. The autograph signature "K. Haring", in permanent marker, introduces the artist's manual gesture, reinforcing the hybrid condition of the object between document and work. The set is preserved with its original envelope, which underlines its material integrity and its value as an archival piece.
The documented provenance reinforces the historical and collector interest of the piece. Belonging to a private collection in France.