Bill T. Jones, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Sotheby's, New York, 11 May 2006, Lot 577
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner 

Ballet News: The International Magazine of Dance, August, 1985, illustrated on cover
Exh. Cat., Castello di Rivoli, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Keith Haring, February - April 1994, p. 239, illustrated
Marvin J. Taylor, Ed., The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene 1974-1984, Princeton 2006, p. 24, illustrated

This work is in good condition overall. There is evidence of handling and wear throughout and the work is lightly soiled. There are scattered surface accretions and paint losses, all of which presumably occurred during the exhibition and performance of “Secret Pastures.” There are folding marks visible which, upon hanging, will presumably lessen with time.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Keith Haring first met Bill T. Jones in 1980 at the University of Kutztown while the eminent choreographer/dancer and his partner Arnie Zane were guests of the school’s Visiting Artist’s program. Though Haring had been dabbling in theatre and performance art since at least 1978, this meeting would prove catalytic. By 1983, Haring was painting Jones’ entire body for an exhibition at London’s Fraser Gallery. Documented in film by Arnie Zane and in photo by Tseng Kwong Chi, the results were displayed at an exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery and subsequently became some of the most iconic and reproduced images of the 1980s.

In 1984, the Brooklyn Academy of Music commissioned the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company to produce and perform Secret Pastures. Already achieving critical and commercial success with shows at the Shafrazi Gallery and appearances at the 1983 Whitney Museum and São Paulo Biennials, Keith Haring was enlisted to create the stage design. The result, including The Garden of Radio Delight/The Beach, proved the perfect conflation of Haring's and Jones' powerful and sexually charged visions. As the New York Times noted, "The sexual symbols embedded in [Haring's] landscapes...echo the sexuality sometimes embedded in the choreography as well" (Anna Kisselgoff, "Dance: Jones and Zane offer 'Secret Pastures,'" The New York Times, 17 November 1984). Notably, the anthropomorphosis apparent in the phallic-like stamens of The Garden of Radio Delight’s flowers is an im𝕴portant concept Haring would utilize throughout his ca♑reer. 

Though Haring’s contributions to Secret Pastures were widely praised, the artist would paint only one other major work for a theatrical performance: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 1984, for the Ballet National de Marseille’s version of Le Mariage du Ciel et de l’Enfer choreographed by Roland Petit.