Euthanasia, Keith Haring Drawing

Done with the use of India ink and markers, the painting appears to be composed of eight human-like figures, jagged lines, and curvilinear shapes. The boldest line in the picture is jagged in nature and forms several peaks across the picture plane, breaking one, and eventually trailing out and becoming softer and curvier. Smaller, harsher lines are scattered around the figures. The figures themselves, colored more vividly than the rest of the picture, also employ the use of curved lines as well as zigzag lines. Apart from the boldest line, most of the other lines in the composition all share about the same level of thickness. There is also a gray parabola shape in the center of the composition. The foreground stands above a dull, grayish-violet background with a thin border.

The picture as a whole is more symmetrical in layout, despite the yellow figure anomaly. The boldest line already jagged and sharp, is riddled with little spikes, which suggests an emphasis on the harshness of the line. The background of the painting is dull in color blending out to different shades, greatly contrasting with the boldness of the eight figures, sporting primary and secondary colors. The sharp lines surrounding these figures adds to the already harsh tone of the picture. The piece itself is abstract in nature, so the figures are not to scale with the actual subjects they are meant to represent. It also follows a certain rhythm with its composition, with three human figures and three mountain like peaks on each side, and the anomalies (being the yellow figures and the gray parabola), in the middle of the picture.

The painting itself represents the issue of euthanasia. The figures are the people that are suffering. The most prominent figures are in red, which is a color known to symbolize pain. The dominant use of zigzag lines not only in the figures’ shapes but in the tiny lines surrounding them, add to the overall message of a paralyzing agony. And with that agony, there is a need to end it, which is where the golden figure-scissors comes in, cutting the vitals. This represents the act of euthanasia itself. The action of ending the suffering is generally seen as an act of mercy, which is why the scissors also take the appearance of angels, judging by the halos on their heads. Yet many still see it as an act of murder, with that murder being in the hands of those who perform euthanasia, hence the red in the angels’ hands. The parabola above the angels is a tombstone, the symbol of death and final rest. . The boldest, black line represents a person’s vital lines. The thorns of the vitals emphasizes the agony of life that a patient may be enduring, which is what euthanasia is meant to stop. The vital lines then eventually trail off to form an unplugged plug. Just like in some cases, euthanasia is done by “pulling the plug” to the life support machine. And just like many controversial issues, the foreground lays in a ‘gray’ area, hence why the background takes a dull color.

Overall, I think the painting came out fairly decent. While there may have been some elements that could have been added to make the message clearer, the picture did capture the harshness of agony through the prominent use of harsh and sharp lines. During the process, I never really had a clear stance on the subject, but I would have to say that my mind may have impressed my support of euthanasia (in acceptable circumstances, that is) seeing as the picture didn't really have anything that suggested and opposition. If there was one thing I would really like to change, it would have to be the background. Seeing as I had used ink slightly deluded with water, getting a nice and even tone was a bit difficult, thus the splotchy color. Maybe I’d start off with a light wash and work from there. Nonetheless, I’m somewhat satisfied by how my first Keith Haring drawing turned out, despite this style not being one of my favorite or best.