Keith Haring, Untitled (Elephant)

Keith Haring’s Untitled (Elephant), makes use of a childlike material to convey an adult idea. Haring’s Untitled (Elephant) is a white statue of an elephant covered with the outlines of stick figures in black. The elephant has no eyes, its tusks are red, and it is standing on a red platform. The basic color choices, black and white, could show the idea of a contrast or disagreement. The elephant itself is symbolic of the Republican Party. If the work is analyzed in a political sense, the elephant represents the Republican Party while the people inside are those under its control battling it out. The missing eyes could show either the blind following of the republican supporters or the blind leading of the party. Overall the piece has a political nature to it that is just under the surface of a simple childhood arts and craft object.

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