Detail from Keith Haring, The SVA Years (1978-1980), Visual Arts Museum at School of Visual Arts, folded poster, 2000.
Poster size: 18 x 26 inches
Available for Purchase
Despite his short life, Keith Haring (1958 – 1990) produced a remarkable amount of work in every possible medium. The works featured here all date from 1981 to 1982 when he was still in his early 20’s and just beginning to attract attention. As there was little financial incentive to use more permanent media during this period, Haring worked primarily in ephemeral formats meant to communicate directly with a broad range of people. In addition to making the subway chalk drawings that quickly won him fame, Haring also promoted his artistic vision by handing out xeroxes, buttons, posters and stickers featuring his ever-expanding repertoire of images.
As Haring’s fame grew, he increasingly turned his attention to large paintings and wall murals. However, smaller ephemera items that a broad audience could afford remained an important part of his output. This work later developed into the Pop Shop he established in 1986. The early ephemera from 1981/1982 featured here set the tone for much that followed.
For a more complete range of Haring ephemera visit our Keith Haring Ephemera, 1979–1990 collection.
Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, Xerox Invitation to an Open House, April 1, 1981
Keith Haring & Kenny Scharf, Welcome You to Their Home (Open House), Xerox Flyer, April 1, 1981
Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
Keith Haring met Kenny Scharf at the School of Visual Arts, and for a short period they shared a two-floor loft on Sixth Avenue near Times Square. Both artists seem to have worked on this xerox invitation for an April Fool’s Day open house. Haring’s contribution (on the left) is similar to the newspaper collages he was then posting on the streets. Scharf’s “mystery closet” is likely the first of the customized art-closet environments that he has continued to create throughout his career.
Keith Haring’s First Publication, 1981
Keith Haring’s First Book, Appearance Press, 1981
Size: 4.5 x 5.5 inches
16 page book
Available for Purchase
In 1981, Appearances Press began to publish small books featuring drawings by up-and-coming downtown artists. Although he was slightly younger than the others, Haring was already famous for his subway drawings. The other artists in the series — Tom Otterness, Cara Perlman, and Jane Dickson — were part of the artist group COLAB, which had organized the 1980 Times Square Show that Haring had participated in.
An Anti-Nuclear Poster Distributed at a Demonstration in Central Park, June 1982
Keith Haring, Anti-Nuclear Rally, Poster, 1982
Size: 18 x 24 inches
Available for Purchase
Starting in his student days at School of Visual Arts, Haring developed the habit of giving people samples of his art. To begin with, he distributed xerox copies of drawings; then he started distributing buttons; and as his finances improved, he began printing large offset posters. Haring created and distributed these posters on the occasion of a huge June 12th Anti-Nuclear Rally in Central Park.
An Early Sticker Given Away at Haring’s First Exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery, 1982
Keith Haring, 3-Eyed Face, sticker, 1982
Size: 3.5 x 3.75 inches
Available for Purchase
To quote Haring’s own words: “Tony (Shafrazi) and I decided that we would have my first one-man show in his new gallery in October of 1982… I had people hand out stickers of my 3-Eyed Face, which had become a sort of icon—and people were sticking it all over each other. And I gave away posters and buttons—there was a real party atmosphere.”
