Keith Haring's most iconic record covers

Written by

Gabriela Helfet

Published on

July 2, 2019

Features

A downtown NYC legend.

Whether collaborating with Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, regularly frequenting clubs like Paradise Garage alongside pal Larry Levan, or conjuring up cartoon DJ robots, New York artist and activist Keith Haring’s work was deeply entwined with the music world.

Though Haring died at just 31 years old, he produced art at an eye-watering speed, and as such was hugely prolific. His creations transcended genres to adorn records by punks, pop stars and burgeoning household hip-hop names, lending his vision to sounds by everyone from David Bowie and Sylvester to Run DMC and Crystal Waters during the 1980s.

Even after his death, Haring’s work continued to influence culture and music, becoming one of the most recognisable individuals in the fight against AIDS thanks to his unforgettable dancing figures that strutted across its campaign materials, fundraisers and flyers.

As Haring’s first major UK exhibition opens at the Tate Liverpool, we explore some of his seminal record sleeves.