Early Digital Keith Haring Drawings Done On An 80s Computer Go Up For Auction

In 1986, psychologist Timothy Leary, a name synonymous with the counterculture of the era, handed Keith Haring an Amiga personal computer. The purpose? To conjure visuals for a video game adaptation of William Gibson’s iconic novel, Neuromancer.

Initially somewhat aloof to the world of technology, Haring began acquainting himself with the digital realm during the 80s. With the Amiga at his disposal, he ventured into creating artwork imbued with his signature vibrant visual language, replete with symbolic motifs and bold, assertive lines.

Remarkably, these digital canvases remained hidden away, residing quietly on humble floppy disks, known only to a select few—until now. Christie’s, the venerable auction house, is set to unveil these treasures in an online auction dubbed Keith Haring: Pixel Pioneer, a nod to his pioneering spirit in the digital landscape.

According to Artnet News, Gil Vazquez, executive director and president of the Keith Haring Foundation, Haring foresaw the role of computers in our lives. He perceived them as tools to convey ideas and democratize art beyond the confines of gallery walls.

The upcoming auction will present five non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring Haring’s Amiga creations, each securely minted on the Ethereum blockchain. This endeavor unfolds in collaboration with Artestar and the Keith Haring Foundation, custodians of Haring’s enduring legacy.

“Haring was ahead of his time, as all the greatest artists are, and now that Web 3 technology has caught up to his vision, these works can be shared and enjoyed by the world,” Vazquez says in a report from Christie’s. “Web 3 allows these works to exist at their full potential, as they were intended.”

As for the value of the Pixel Pioneer collection, each NFT carries an estimated worth ranging from US$200,000 to US$500,000, with the entire collection totaling an impressive US$1.65 million. These valuations find precedent in Christie’s 2021 NFT auction of Amiga artwork by Andy Warhol, which collectively amassed a staggering US$3.3 million.

[via Artnet News and Boing Boing, images via various sources]