During the 1980s, Keith Haring used the New York City subway stations as his own canvas, seeking out blank advertising spaces and covering them with what would soon become his iconic subway drawings. Haring was determined to create accessible art for all, and these drawings quickly transformed the city for millions during their daily commute in the vast underground system of New York.
This November in New York, Sotheby’s will present Art in Transit: 31 Keith Haring Subway Drawings from the Collection of Larry Warsh, a group of 31 subway drawings created by Haring between 1980-85, which will all appear at auction for the first time. They all come from the personal collection of Larry Warsh, renowned Haring collector and publisher who stewarded these 31 works for a nearly 40-year period, building the most exceptional and extensive collection of subway drawings in private hands. In 2012, the complete suite of 31 subway drawings was displayed in the critically acclaimed Brooklyn Museum exhibition Keith Haring: 1978-1982, marking the last occasion the group was exhibited together. These works were later published in Keith Haring: 31 Subway Drawings, in partnership with the Keith Haring Foundation.
This superb offering will highlight Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Sale on November 21 with a combined estimate of $6.3-9 million.
Before they hit the auction block, see these works in a one-of-a-kind immersive exhibition – developed in partnership and powered by Samsung – at our York Avenue galleries, 8–20 November.
