Keith Haring: Amsterdam Notes

Longer than two trucks and unseen for almost three decades. This summer, the Stedelijk presents a unique drawing by artist and activist Keith Haring. Amsterdam Notes is one of his largest-ever museum pieces, and will hang in the hall of honor, the IMC Gallery, from May 26. Haring is as popular as ever thanks to his instantly recognizable, accessible style. His socially engaged work often tackles socio-political issues such as war, racism, drugs and AIDS, themes that resonate with many people today.

The American artist Keith Haring made the 125-foot-drawing that he titled Amsterdam Notes in 1986 for his first solo museum exhibition at the Stedelijk. When compared to Haring’s other work, the drawing is unique on several levels. The black ink drawing with red acrylic paint border is probably one of his largest museum pieces. He trades his iconic symbols of barking dogs, dancing figures and radiant babies for fanciful monsters and colossal animals. Among the fantastical creatures, human figures dance, make love, fly and leap. Yet, in contrast to the American’s trademark style, the composition is spatial, and does not fill the picture plane. The fish that appear in the drawing are probably a playful nod to Haring’s surname – which means ‘herring’ in Dutch. Amsterdam Notes shows us a different side of Haring, and marks his ascent to world fame.

Back to where it all began
For the exhibition at the Stedelijk, the relatively unknown Keith Haring didn’t simply want to exhibit work he had already made, but wanted to create new artworks, one of which is Amsterdam Notes. He also painted a vast semi-transparent screen that was suspended above the historic grand staircase as a velum, and painted an enormous sea monster on the exterior of the Stedelijk Museum’s former art storage depot (on the site of what is now the Central Market Halls). After years of being hidden behind wall panels, the mural was finally revealed in 2018. Together with two other huge pieces from the collection, the drawing Amsterdam Notes will shortly be on display again in the place where Haring’s journey began.

Rein Wolfs, director Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: “For art lovers, Amsterdam Notes is a contemporary Bayeux tapestry, and a holy grail for Haring fans. Since works on paper are fragile, they cannot be exhibited for long. The last time this drawing was on public display was thirty years ago. Moments such as this are unique, and happen rarely. But, this summer, the door to the Stedelijk’s treasury is ajar!”