Keith Haring, Unique Drawing, 1988 (inscribed to David)

Keith Haring

Radiant Baby Drawing, 1988

Black marker on end paper of Keith Haring monograph

Hand signed, inscribed to David Copley and dated

Unique

Iconic, unique radiant baby drawing by Keith Haring done in black marker, and signed, dated 88 and inscribed to David above the drawing. This was acquired from The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. It was executed the evening of the Los Angeles gallery exhibition of ten paintings on canvas, thirty black and white drawings, and five color silkscreen prints executed by Keith Haring between 1987 and 1988. This original marker drawing was done on one of the illustrated first front end pages - a photographic reproduction of Haring - of the oversized limited edition exhibition catalogue published on the occasion of the exhibition of Keith Haring's drawings, paintings and prints at the Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles. According to the Last Bookstore, the consignor was Helen and Jim Copley, and the book was inscribed to Helen's late son David Copley who pre-deceased her. The bookstore staff personally went to the consignor's home to receive Copy's incredible collection of original artists' books, many personally inscribed to him and his wife Helen. Hand signed and inscribed to noted collector and philanthropist David C. Copley.

More about David Copley:

David Copley (January 31, 1952 – November 20, 2012), an American publishing heir, on the board of the Copley Press for over thirty years, becoming president and owner, as well as publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was a noted philanthropist. Until his death a resident of the San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla, California, Copley had been named in Forbes Magazine's 2005 list of the 400 richest Americans and according to Forbes magazine was a billionaire. Copley was a noted sponsor of the arts, both personally and through the James S. Copley Foundation, including the Old Globe Theatre and Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, San Diego, and the La Jolla Playhouse. He supported the Museum of Contemporary Art both financially and on the board, leading to the establishment of The David C. Copley Chair and the David C. Copley Building, and from 2011 until his death he served as President of the Board of Trustees of the museum. He established The David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design at UCLA with a $6 million grant in 2008. He also gave to animal shelters in San Diego and Escondido, as well as the San Diego Crew Classic and the new downtown library. Copley was an avid collector of contemporary art, which included a world class collection by Christo, as well as pieces by Andy Warhol, John Baldessari, and David Hockney.