Pop Artist Keith Haring’s Subway Art Heads For Maiden Auction At Sotheby's

Sotheby's, the world's largest broker of fine, decorative art, will showcase one of the most-cherished art collections of the 80's at its New York auction house. 

Pop artist Keith Haring's Subway art, a total of 31 paintings from the collection of Larry Wash will be auctioned on November 21. The expected valuation for this iconic artwork is around USD 6.3 to 9 million.

Transporting people to 80's NYC subways through immersive art

Haring's auction move is to make meaningful art accessible to everyone. The NYC-based artist, who drew his popularity from the NYC graffiti subculture, used to paint on empty ad spaces using them as blank canvases, making immersive art, a daily visual for New York's subway commuters. "These works will come to life again in a special immersive exhibition at Sotheby’s, recreating the essence of the 1980s New York City subway,” says Kathleen Hart, Head of Session at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day Auction, citing an L'Officiel report. 

Sotheby’s will host an immersive exhibition open to the public from November 8 to 20 at its York Avenue galleries. The exhibit aims to replicate a vintage 1980s subway environment, complete with turnstiles and benches, alongside advanced Samsung displays that feature archival footage of Haring at work. This setup not only showcases the art but also captures the vibrant energy of the era.

Haring, a pivotal figure in New York’s 1980s art scene, started this series after noticing blacked-out ad panels in subway stations. He viewed these spaces as a canvas for spreading his art to the masses. Known for his distinctive motifs—radiant babies, barking dogs, and flying saucers—Haring’s work resonated with subway riders, achieving his vision of accessible art.