Keith Haring in 1983, photographed at a point when his visual language was quickly moving from the streets and subway platforms of New York into galleries, museums, fashion, and popular culture. His bold figures, thick outlines, and repeated symbols had already become recognizable through the chalk drawings he began making in unused subway advertising spaces in the early 1980s.
The timing is especially significant. Haring appeared in the 1983 Whitney Biennial, helping cement his place in the contemporary art world even as he continued to embrace public accessibility and mass culture. The bright red and yellow figures behind him in this image show the same graphic immediacy that made his work so adaptable to murals, posters, clothing, and eventually the Pop Shop he opened in SoHo in 1986.
Browse more vintage pop culture, media, fashion, artwork, and collectibles in our store – and search “Keith Haring” to see if this item or related pieces are currently available.