Keith Haring's Subway Chalk Drawings, 1980–1985

Between 1980 and 1985, Keith Haring created over 5,000 chalk drawings on blank advertisement panels in New York City subway stations. Inspired by the graffiti art that covered subway cars and walls, Haring used white chalk on black matte paper to produce quick, simplified images—spaceships, radiant babies, barking dogs—between train arrivals. The process became a form of performance art: commuters watched, commented, and interacted with him as he worked, while he risked arrest. Haring deliberately avoided overtly sexual or political imagery in these subway pieces, aiming to make art accessible to a broad audience. The underground venue allowed him to reach far more people than a traditional gallery could, and the free public art helped build his popularity and fame. A CBS News clip captures him at work.