Letter From Paris: Keith Haring’s Political Line

Keith Haring in the 1980s in his New York City studio.

It’s hard to believe that the ever-youthful icon of the 1980s New York Artworld has already been gone 23 years. Keith Haring, the most famous subway scribbler the world has ever known, took chalk and markers and finally paint and canvas, and spread his scribbles across pretty much everything in his path.  An expansive exhibition of his more political works – touching upon the state, media, capitalism, racism, nuclear and ecological suicide and finally AIDs – fills the Musée de la Ville de Paris to the brim, in an oddly joyful display of more than 100 large canvases, sculptures and collages.

Read more on the artblog – Letter From Paris: Keith Haring’s Political Line

BOSTON MAGAZINE COVER : COMMEMORATING THE RUNNERS PROMISING TO FINISH THE RACE

Boston Magazine: Cover is a photograph of the shoes from the marathon runners.  The magazine commemorates the runners, honors the victims and promises to continue its strong tradition of staying strong.  See the backstory here.

Topless Jihad : A Day Of Worldwide Bare Breasted Protest

A Femen activist demonstrates in front of the Ahmadiyya-Moschee in Berlin, on April 4, 2013. (Johannes Eisele/AFP /Getty Images).

The group FEMEN protested around Europe on April 4, 2013 in support of women's rights (particularly control over their bodies) in the Arab World.  The radical feminists, calling for more sexual freedom for Arab women, were protesting in support of a young Tunisian woman, Amina, who received online death threats from ultraconservative Muslims after posting topless photos of herself online. (From The Atlantic Monthly). 

A Femen activist is removed by riot policemen during a protest near Tunisia's Embassy in Paris, on April 4, 2013. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

More photos of the actions in Paris, Berlin and  from The Atlantic Monthly. 

John Lennon, Marijuana, Lester Grinspoon & Harvard Medical School

Thanks to David Grinspoon who posted this letter to his father from Beatle John Lennon on his FB feed. 

David Grinspoon is the Astrobiological Chair at the Library of Congress.  His website is Funky Science.

Please click the image of the letter to enlarge and read.

Feel free to repost and share.