Keith Haring

THE SUBWAY DRAWINGS

In 1980, Haring noticed that New York City subway’s blank advertising spaces were covered with black matte paper when advertising subscriptions expired. He immediately purchased some chalk and started drawing. Over the next five years, this became a daily, repetitive obsession: he would ride the subway, look for these empty spaces of black paper, draw quickly—without any preparation — and then leave on the next train. Through incessant repetition, Haring’s subway drawings allowed him toperfect his highly recognizable reduced linear vocabulary, and to create an inventory of images. Simplification was practical: he needed to complete his drawings as fast as possible to avoid being arrested. He created characters, such as the barking dog and the radiating baby, which he drew on flat planes with no spatial depth, often with only

a horizon line or a staircase to suggest space. Drawn close to the surface like cartoons, his images had immediacy and impact and could carry multiple meanings through various combinations.

Keith Haring

Keith Haring rose to prominence in the 1980s in New York within the East Village art scene alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Jenny Holzer. He bridged the gap between the art world and the street, graffiti the city subways and sidewalks before committing to a studio practice.

Keith Haring continued creating street art until 1985 for his viewing public reportedly creating approximately 5,000 pieces over the 5 years. Since 1982 when Keith haring shot to fame fans, collectors and admirers would follow him and remove the chalk drawing from the wall of the subway. A new York maintenance worker amassed a

collection of these works and subsequently sold his collection to fund his retirement. They have been hidden away for many years and we are pleased to be able to offer

these for sale.

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Keith Haring: The Subway Drawings

Keith Haring

The Subway Drawings

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