Free South Africa
Size: Framed: 51" x 50.875", Unframed: 48" x 48" in. (129.54 x 129.22 cm)
Medium: Original First Strike
This is one of three Free South Africa lithographs by Keith Haring from 1985. Along with his social activism as an advocate for those battling HIV/AIDS, Haring also spoke out against the racist Apartheid government policy of South Africa in the ‘80s. Haring published the Free South Africa poster in a large (but unknown) edition size. Haring shows a black silhouette that steps on a much smaller, white figure that appears to represent the oppressive government of South Africa as denoted with a red “X.” Although the figure that symbolizes the oppressed seems to overpower the government, the chain around the black silhouette’s neck and the “Free South Africa” text communicate a clear call to action.