For this week’s blog post, I chose to discuss Keith Haring’s Crack is Wack mural, a public painting that I have often driven by along the FDR. Although the double-sided mural has undergone restoration since it was first painted, it still stands today. The mural was created using the wall of a deserted handball court, which grants the work with the appearance of a large billboard that you might drive by, especially considering that it stands so close to the highway. Haring’s mural was relevant to New York City, specifically, as it referenced the high use of crack cocaine and Reagan’s “War on Drugs” that were both especially prevalent in New York City.
Side one
Side 2
I also have drove past this mural a number of times. However, I’ve never considered all the ways that it is connected to New York: the repurposed handball wall, the crack epidemic, etc. Its billboard like appearance is really interesting given its content – an advertisement in the same vein of those today asking drivers to stop texting, stop smoking etc.
I think what’s interesting about this mural is the push and pull between the gravity of the message “Crack is Wack” and the playful, fun way the message is conveyed. I hadn’t realized that this was painted on the wall of a handball court — I think this fact adds to the juxtaposition Haring has created between the cheerful, orange mural with his typical figures and playful font, and the serious drug epidemic in New York.
I am also really intrigued by this image and the way that it juggles a very serious topic with light-hearted and energetic imagery. I think it’s a really interesting approach in trying to convey a difficult issue that needs to be addressed to the public, because it does walk a fine line. What is so effective is the voice of the piece and how it feels like the voice of a friend instead of the government, which makes it even more compelling.