The Universe of Keith Haring (Region 1 Import DVD)

No New York painter has bridged the gap between the city's vibrant street culture and its downtown galleries as brilliantly as the iconic ‘80s art-star Keith Haring. THE UNIVERSE OF KEITH HARING is director Christina Clausen's affectionate portrait of the late artist's swift ascent from small-town misfit to internationally acclaimed Pop Art evangelist and social activist. Clausen pieces together a loving hagiography out of candid interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, all interspersed with some remarkable footage of Haring in action, etching his spontaneous works onto subway stations and other public spaces. Featuring a bouncy soundtrack of quirky ‘80s electro and disco, the music's boundless energy matches the vibrancy of Haring's art and the New York scene of the time. The list of interviewees is a veritable who's who of the downtown New York art and music scenes: Kenny Scharf, Yoko Ono, and Fab 5 Freddy recount personal, often touching, episodes in Haring's life and his inevitable battle with, and loss to, AIDS. Less a critical assessment of Haring's work than a celebration of the unique creative energy that he brought to world, THE UNIVERSE OF KEITH HARING seals the legacy of an artist whose distinctive iconography has penetrated the consciousness of popular culture.