Keith Haring gained recognition very quickly through his graffiti in the streets of New York, before his work was exhibited in prestigious galleries such as Leo Castelli’s.
Haring wanted his art to be at the heart of life and always remain accessible to everyone; his creations invaded the Subway, the city walls, street lamps, cars, clothing and bodies. From 1986, he even started selling his own by- products in his Pop Shop boutique.

Haring developed a graphic style with simple lines that everyone could understand, taking his inspiration from the Standart created by A. R. Penck, whom he considered to be a mentor. Seeing his drawings as ideograms, his figures, with their strong, lively colours, became universal, like  the Radiant Baby, which symbolises life, joy and hope.

Beyond this apparent light-heartedness, he depicted the evils of his time, such as drugs, the subversive power of the media and of money, and AIDS, of which he was one of the many victims. Haring knew from 1987 that he was ill and became a committed artist, an active militant who sought to warn others, particularly young children, against this plague.

Struck down by the disease at the age of just 31, Haring nevertheless left a profound mark on his era by introducing street art into the museums.
His friendship with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, his unique artistic language, his happenings at Club 57 and his proclamation of a gay artistic identity made him a symbol of the creative frenzy that went hand in hand with the effervescence of the New York underground of the 1980’s.

In representing the Estate of Keith Haring in France, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont gives its support to the restoration of The Keith Haring mural fresco at the Necker Hospital in Paris. Created in 1987 on the the emergency staircase of the pediatric surgery building, whose crumbling concrete threatens its disapperance, this immense fresco is 27 meters high.
The only one monumental exterior work of the artist in France displays his commitment to children with disease. it also maintains his desire to make art attainable for all.

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To complete this restoration, after the exhibition and sale of Alexandra Golovanoff’s « faces », held on March 2, 2012 at the gallery, which was also organized for this purpose, Jérôme de Noirmont initiated a charity auction that will take place on April 17 at Sotheby´s in Paris, with exclusive gifts from the Keith Haring Foundation and from artists who were close to Keith Haring or sensible to children’s cause, and desired to bring their generous support.

To consult the catalog : Click here