Keith Haring Pop Shop Mural Fragment

Keith Haring's Pop Shop Mural Fragment

By, Brian Swarts, President of Taglialatella Galleries

In 1986, artist Keith Haring opened the Pop Shop on Lafayette Street in New York City. The Pop Shop brought Haring’s imagery to life, connecting the playful figures of his artwork to the people who loved it and wanted to be a part of the fun, vibrant world that was Keith Haring’s New York City in the 1980’s. For nearly twenty years the Pop Shop continued to be a popular downtown destination, known for its loud music beating and bouncing off the walls, which were covered in a continuous floor-to-ceiling black and white mural. Despite Haring’s untimely death in 1990, the store remained open until 2005.

While much of the mural was discarded due to a combination of fragility, wear and, at one point, the floor having been bleached, the ceiling was famously excavated and conserved by The Keith Haring Foundation in order to be displayed for the public at the New York Historical Society. Now, for the first time since Haring painted the mural in 1986, a section of the famous Pop Shop mural is available for sale and on display in a gallery, affording a unique opportunity to acquire a piece art history and a relic from an era like none other in New York City.

Below you will find images of the original counter, painted as part of the mural and used as a swinging door for those who worked behind the front desk of the store. Above, an iconic photograph by Tseng Kwong Chi of Haring sitting atop that very counter. As the most easily removable portion of the mural, the counter portion was acquired by a local admirer of Haring’s and fan of the Pop Shop in 2005 and has since remained in a private home. Until now.

This artifact is now on public display at Taglialatella Galleries and for sale at the Chelsea location at 229 10th Ave., New York, NY. The mural is authenticated by the Executive Director of the Keith Haring Foundation, Julia Gruen.