Keith Haring (1958-1990) was one of the key figures in the New York art world of the 1980s and, with his unmistakable style influenced by graffiti and comic art, became an international star and public favorite. His public (and occasionally illegal) interventions, sculptures and works on canvas and paper became icons of 20th century visual culture, his stick figures and reduced picture ciphers found their way onto buttons, postcards, T-shirts, cups and posters millions of times over. Haring was undoubtedly an extremely skilful self-marketer, but he was also a socially conscious person. Regardless of their striking visual language, his works often dealt with socio-political themes such as racism, capitalism, religious fundamentalism, and the growing impact of AIDS on New York's gay scene.