Jersey City, U.S.A. — At a time when street art was in its infancy, Keith Haring made the gritty surfaces of 1980s New York his canvas, and an icon was born.

Mana Contemporary presents Keith Haring , from November 4 – December 16, 2012. The exhibition will showcase an unprecedented ensemble of works from a private collection, including oversized metal panels originally spray-painted on the FDR Drive in 1984.

Measuring more than 17 feet wide, these out of scale diptychs have not been shown in the United States for more than 15 years. Also included in the exhibition of the beloved downtown artist are a rare painting on leather, a selection of his famous subway drawings and several other pieces rarely seen. The exhibition is organized by 99 Cents Fine Art, New York.

The exhibition will take place in a 5,000-square-foot gallery on Mana Contemporary’s first floor. The gallery is designed to showcase especially large works of art.

“This exceptional exhibition highlights Mana Contemporary’s ability to show oversize installations,” says Mana Contemporary founder Eugene Lemay. “We are thrilled for the public to see these timeless works by Keith Haring as they originally appeared.”

In 1984, Haring created an undulating mural of his active figures on a metal fence in the Asphalt Green Park along the FDR Drive in New York. The FDR work is made of about 30 panels in total, originally forming a unique continuous frieze of 255 feet in length.

Haring moved to New York from Pittsburgh in 1978, and by the end of 1980, he had developed his own visual vocabulary of iconic ideograms. By leaving his chalk drawings on blank subway posters and graffiti on the streets of Manhattan’s East Village, he bridged underground activism with the high-brow art world. Haring died from AIDS-related complications in 1990 at the age of 31.

Mana Contemporary will open the exhibit to the public on Sunday, November 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM, and provide free transportation from Manhattan. The Haring exhibit is the latest addition to Mana Contemporary’s exciting fall program of high-profile shows, including The Imaginary, The Symbolic and The Real, contemporary video art from the Richard J. Massey Collection, and Conversations Rough Cut, candid interviews from the Middle East by David Wakstein. For more information, please visit artmanafest.com.

About Mana Contemporary 

Mana Contemporary is a groundbreaking destination bringing together artists, collectors, galleries, dealers and institutions into one core with the purpose of advancing relationships and creating a single community. Mana Contemporary’s large-scale exhibition, studio and performance spaces present visitors with cutting-edge programming curated for the global stage. In addition, Mana Contemporary provides comprehensive art management services, including storage and handling. For more information about Mana Contemporary, visit manacontemporary.com.

Image Courtesy of  Greg Carley

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