Art Card: Keith Haring - Andy Mouse (Hand Signed by Keith Haring), ca. 1988

Art Card: Keith Haring - Andy Mouse (Hand Signed by Keith Haring), ca. 1988

This marvelous offset lithograph postcard - hand signed by Keith Haring - depicts a work from Keith Haring's iconic 1986 "Andy Mouse" series - a tribute to Andy Warhol, one of the artist's most iconic and sought-after motifs - a playful homage rendered through the lens of American Pop culture. The image bridges Haring's graphic language with Warhol's legacy, making it a particularly resonant work for collectors of both artists.
It is, exceptionally boldly signed in black marker by Keith Haring. Acquired from CBS' Dan Pope collection of artist autographs, acquired in the 1980s and 1990s.
While postcards of this image were widely circulated, hand signed examples from the period are considerably more scarce and highly desirable - especially with such fine provenance. A compelling and accessible point of entry into Haring's oeuvre, this piece combines strong visual impact with period provenance.
Andy Warhol is said to have met Keith Haring between 1982 and 1984 at Haring's exhibition at the legendary downtown gallery Tony Shafrazi. At the time, Warhol was the King of Pop, and Hring a rising graffiti artist. Warhol was fascinated by this new artistic development and became a kind of mentor to Haring.
Haring and Warhol quickly discovered a mutual admiration for Walt Disney. For his exuberant character Andy Mouse, Haring combined two of his heroes, Andy Warhol and Walt Disney. The character Andy Mouse is a fusion between Disney's Mickey Mouse and Andy Warhol.
As is the case in so much of Haring’s art, the print that this postcard depicts exudes the energy and rhythm of the age of disco. Through the inclusion of bold dashes across the image, Haring taps into the symbolism of cartoons to indicate movement. The energetic gestures of Haring’s figures imply that they are dancing. The bright colours and rhythms of the disco is part of the context in which Haring spent time with Warhol. Both regularly attended New York nightclubs together, not least the iconic Studio 54.
Through the print series Andy Mouse, Haring celebrates Warhol and his contribution to American culture. The series was also created as a way of showing the artist’s appreciation, after Warhol had supported Haring in opening his iconic Pop Shop in 1986. The Pop Shop was a radical and daring idea intended to democratise Haring’s pictorial inventions. The shop sold T-shirts, stickers, posters, and skateboards displaying the graffiti artist’s art within a space complete, from wall to ceiling, with Haring’s playful brushwork. Warhol, who had always believed ‘art should not be only for the select few’ was a big supporter of the project as Haring himself explained:

“Andy practically convinced me to open the Pop Shop when I started to get cold feet… He further showed his support for the Pop Shop by creating a T-shirt for it and plugging it at any opportunity.”
Another feature that derives from Warhol’s appearance is the glasses. Through the 80s the artist wore spectacles with large lenses that were a dominant feature on his face. Haring transforms these glasses into multi-coloured sunglasses to evoke a sense of playfulness and the cool vibrant energy of the disco era in the 80s.

A final major motif that is repeated through these four prints is the American dollar. This feature alludes to Warhol as a businessman. By 1986, ‘Andy Warhol’ referred as much to the artist as an individual as it did to a brand, with a vast output not only in art but in film, music, and publishing. Warhol was the first to embrace the notion of working in both art and business, famously stating: ‘making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.’

This card has been boldly signed in black marker by Keith Haring. It was acquired from the collection of CBS News photographer Dan Pope, who amassed one of the foremost collections of personally obtained artist autographs on art cards.
This work has been elegantly framed with multi colored matting in a wood frame under UV plexiglass.
Measurements:
Framed
10 inches (vertical) by 8 inches (horizontal) by 1 inch
Andy Mouse Art Card:
5.5 inches (vertical) by 4 inches horizontal