New Exhibit Featuring the Art of Keith Haring at The Hyde.

Epochal Songs, a new exhibit at Glens Falls Hyde Collection, features the works of Keith Haring and lighting designer Thomas Dunn.

Still from Epochal Songs, 2022. Performance by Muna Tseng with lighting design and animations by Thomas Dunn based on drawings by Keith Haring. SCHUNCK Museum, Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Thomas Dunn.

The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls is currently exhibiting a multi-media installation featuring the works of Keith Haring (1958-1990) in the Rotunda Gallery. Haring was an American artist who emerged from the New York City subculture and became famous for his pop art in the 1980s. The works displayed in this exhibit are Haring's pieces from The Hyde's permanent collection, along with a work in progress by lighting designer Thomas Dunn (b.1972).

Haring started as a street and subway artist and eventually gained worldwide recognition for his lyrical, single-line figure paintings. His visual language became synonymous with the advocacy work of AIDS activist groups such as ACT UP. Unfortunately, Haring passed away at the age of thirty-one in 1990 due to AIDS.

In 1982, Haring collaborated with Muna Tseng, a dancer, choreographer, and sister of photographer Tseng Kwong Chi (1950-1990), who was a friend of Haring. Tseng asked Haring to collaborate on the scenic elements for a performance at New York City's Riverside Dance Festival. The result was a series of forty-seven drawings by Haring representing the history of life on earth, panned from a slide projector as a backdrop to Tseng's performance, titled "Epochal Songs."

Recently, Muna Tseng invited Thomas Dunn to reimagine "Epochal Songs" for a 2021 installation at SCHUNCK Museum in the Netherlands. The installation consisted of sixty LED tiles, typically used for billboard signage, as a nod to Haring's roots as a street artist. Using Adobe After Effects, Dunn animated Haring's work, integrating it with his light art animations and creating an immersive space for Tseng's performance.

Visitors to The Hyde now have the opportunity to witness Dunn at work as he adds an interactive element to the interlude sections of the 2021 project.

Please note the Hyde’s current hours, Thursday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Visit their website for current information.

Video from the SCHNUCK installation featuring Muna Tseng.

This project is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vermont Community Foundation.

 

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