A few weeks ago, while working alongside my students in the art studio I drew a fist with wax resist crayons and some watercolors. I was thinking about Keith Haring’s “Radiant Baby” as I drew it, about the simplicity of the shape. He said of the baby, “Babies represent the possibility of the future, the understanding of perfection, how perfect we could be. There is nothing negative about a baby, ever…The reason that the “baby” has become my logo or signature is that it is the purest and most positive experience of human existence.
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The fist, to me, represented new possibilities through resistance. I continued with two more hand gestures to complete the set. My brother told me that the wagging finger looked like a lighthouse. I debuted these buttons at the National Art Educators Association conference in New York this past weekend and raised over $100 to donate to the A.C.L.U. If you want a button, just e-mail me with a receipt of your donation (of any amount) to the A.C.L.U and I’ll happily send a few to you in the mail.
Joy Lai 