Keith Haring

Keith Haring (1958–1990) was an American artist and activist who rose to prominence in the charged cultural landscape of 1980s New York. Drawing on graffiti, cartoons, and the immediacy of street culture, he developed an animated pop‑art vocabulary defined by bold lines, high‑energy compositions, and recurring icons such as the radiant baby and barking dog. His graphic, interlocking forms became a universal visual language through which he addressed urgent social and political issues—including the AIDS crisis, drug abuse, and apartheid—making his work both accessible and uncompromisingly activist.

1.) Fight AIDS, Stop AIDS

2.) Fight AIDS, Ignorance = Fear, Silence = Death

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Once Upon A Time The Lesbian & Gay Community Center in New York City most notable artworks is Keith Haring's, 1989, Painted mural on the men's bathroom walls, titled 'Once Upon A Time,' which celebrates sexual liberation in the days before the AIDS epidemic. The piece was created for The Center Show, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, largely thought of as the start of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States. The Keith Haring Bathroom is open for public viewing during The Center’s operating hours.

1.) Once Upon a Time... 1989, painted mural on the men's bathroom walls

2.) second floor, The Gay Community Center, New York City

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Untitled (May 24-83) Sold at Christies Auction 2017, Price realised, USD $912,500. Haring never saw any of that money. He died in 1989 at just 31, at the height of the AIDS crisis, when his work was still considered “street,” “youthful,” even “ephemeral” by the very institutions that now treat him as a pillar of late‑20th‑century art. Haring spent his life making art that was deliberately accessible, public, and socially engaged. He opened the Pop Shop so people could buy his imagery for a few dollars. He fought for visibility, for activism, for community. Meanwhile, decades later, the secondary market turns those same images into luxury commodities.

1.) Untitled (May 24-83), 1983, Acrylic on paper, 183 x 377 cm | 72 x 148 in

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Greatest Hits: The Pop Shop Drawings Sotheby’s auctioned 12 original drawings by Keith Haring. Known as the “Pop Shop Drawings,” these works from 1985 are the iconic images that served as the underlying artwork for Haring’s famous Pop Shop silkscreen prints and other Pop Shop merchandise that transformed his practice into a beloved, global cultural phenomenon. The 12 drawings present the most significant images from Haring’s visual alphabet: including best buddies, barking dogs, acrobats, and dancers. Each measuring 11 by 14 inches, these equally-sized ink on paper compositions showcase a comprehensive overview of Haring’s characters and motifs that underpin his specific interest in the socio-political themes of his time. All 12 drawings Untitled, ink on paper, 11 by 14 in, 27.9 by 35.6 cm, signed and dated 1985, Each drawing sold for $150,000 USD

1.) Keith Haring's Greatest Hits: The Pop Shop Drawings, 1985

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"NYC - East Village: Bowery Mural Tribute to Keith Haring, a recreation of Keith Haring's celebrated Houston Street and Bowery mural was on display in its original location from March 4 to December 21, 2008

1.) A recreation of Keith Haring's celebrated Houston & Bowery mural

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“Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody” A new exhibition at the Broad museum in Los Angeles 2023, shines a light on Haring’s art, activism and life. The artist’s first museum exhibition in L.A. — includes more than 120 works spanning 1978 through 1989 from the Broad’s collection, private lenders and other institutions. Haring’s paintings, drawings, sculptures, videos and graphic works will be on view along with documentation of his more ephemeral subway drawings and murals.