Keith HARING
Keith Haring (1958–1990) was an American artist whose bold, graphic style became an icon of 1980s New York street culture. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and raised in Kutztown, he moved to New York City in 1978, studying at the School of Visual Arts and immersing himself in the city’s vibrant graffiti and hip-hop scenes.
Haring developed a distinctive visual language of energetic lines, radiant babies, barking dogs, and dancing figures, often created in public spaces and subway stations. His work combined Pop Art’s immediacy with strong social messages, addressing themes such as love, community, AIDS awareness, and anti-apartheid activism.
He exhibited internationally, collaborated with artists like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and used his art to support charitable causes. Haring’s career was tragically cut short when he died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 31, but his imagery remains instantly recognizable and influential worldwide.
KEITH HARING - DOG Black ink on craft paper. Signed bottom right
Year: 1988
Title: Untitled (Patterned Dogman)
Artist: Keith Haring (1958–1990)
Medium: Ink and paint on paper
Dimensions: [Not specified]
Description:
Original artwork by Keith Haring featuring one of his signature anthropomorphic figures—part human, part dog—rendered in bold black and white with intricate tribal-like patterns. Unlike his usual flat, fluid outlines, this composition is filled with ornamental swirls, grids, and geometric detailing, giving it a totemic, almost ceremonial presence.
Produced in 1988, this work illustrates Haring’s ongoing experimentation with cultural symbolism and his deep interest in global visual languages. Known for merging graffiti, pop, and primitivist aesthetics, Haring’s art bridges the urban and the mythic—inviting viewers into a world where bold simplicity carries complex, universal themes.
KEITH HARING - Black ink painting. Dated and Signed bottom left
Year: 1988
Title: Untitled
Artist: Keith Haring (1958–1990)
Medium: Ink on paper
Dimensions: [Not specified]
Description:
Original work by Keith Haring showcasing his unmistakable visual language: bold lines, energetic figures, and symbols radiating with urgency. At the center, a peace sign divides a circle containing Haring’s iconic motifs—radiant baby, barking dog, and vibrating television—surrounded by dynamic human forms in motion.
Created in the final years of his life, this 1988 piece reflects Haring’s commitment to activism through art. A central figure in the 1980s street art movement, Haring used his accessible graphic style to address social justice, AIDS awareness, and human rights, imbuing his work with both playfulness and profound political resonance.
