All images © Keith Haring Foundation
The Great White Way
1988
acrylic on canvas
The Keith Haring Foundation
Hung on the wall is a 14’ high x 4’ wide painting in the shape of a penis. Also similar in shape to an oblong keyhole, its shaft rises straight up with its head at the top, nearly ceiling height and more than twice the height of an average person.
Painted a bright light pink, the canvas stands out about 5 inches from the wall and the sides of it are striped with it’s only other colour, black. The stripes continue onto the front to join a line around the perimeter, giving it a striped border. The penis is full of illustrations in black lines that sometimes join one another and are largely in a symmetrical arrangement.
The work will be described from the top to the bottom. At the top of the penis’s shape is a small Flying Devil with wings spread. This forms the divot at the tip of the penis’s head. The devil has a long penis that droops down. Directly underneath it lies a figure marked with the symbol for woman (a circle with a cross underneath). Her legs are spread and her open vulva is lined up directly under the devil’s penis. To her sides are figures that hold up the devil, and hold down the woman’s legs. Close to her, is a torso length sperm. Touching her outstretched arms on either side, float fetuses with lines emanating from them. Her head connects to a body beneath her which gives birth to a figure that reaches downwards with two arms. On either side of this are pregnant figures, one holding a Christian cross. The pregnant figures are connected by a chain with shackles that float surrounding their knees.
The illustrations continue down the penis’s shaft. Under the chains, a figure with bound arms dangles by its bound ankles. On its left is a rifle, a space rocket, a cutlass and an atom. On its right is a tank, hand gun, dagger and jet plane. On both sides are “x”es and dollar signs. Flanking the dangling figure’s head and arms are pig heads with “x”es for eyes and snouts open showing jagged teeth. Underneath this is a jumble of people. One person at centre has two penises and sets of testicles and is inserting itself into bent over figures at either side.
Now midshaft, are two giant crosses which each impale a figure who is bent over backwards. Between the crosses is a five pointed crown that is held up by two figures standing on a disc. The disc is held up by the penises of identical figures that are partly visible on either side of the shaft. Also bracing the base of the disc are bowing figures. They kneel on top of a horizontal beam which is topping a figure with a dollar sign on it’s torso and a very large penis. Clinging to it near its chest and rear are tiny figures. From the horizontal beam hang four glittery gems just out of reach of a crowd of tiny figures in various celebratory postures, most clambering up the legs of the larger figure at the expense of a few figures being trampled underfoot. This scene is being held up by two larger individuals on their stomachs who have shackles on their ankles with chains that stretch out to the sides of the work. Under and between them is a figure with it’s arms to either side in a cruciform pose. It has testicles for legs and it’s torso is encircled by four rings. Its outstretched arms hold two leashes. The leashes are around the necks of two tiny prostrate figures which kiss the testicles, at the bottom of the entire work. To the left and right of those are two characters who look down on them and who wave their hands. They have enormous erect penises, the shaft and heads of which are Christian crosses.
Exhibition label text:
Stretched in the shape of a penis, this massive painting is a critical visualization of what author bell hooks described as “imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” The pink phallus is decorated with black lines that make up an intricate scene of weapons, violence, torture, and other abuses of power—a visual representation of the problems of Euro-American society. Haring’s title implies the white supremacist ideology underpinning these activities. The painting shows a phallocentric world in which profit and power in the name of “good” and God are used as tools of oppression. The Great White Way is a prime example of what is perhaps Haring’s greatest skill: the ability to make something look like shallow fun—in this case, a massive, cartoonish, pink, candy-striped penis—while simultaneously speaking truth to some of society’s foremost tyrannies.