Growing 1 is a 1988 silkscreen on paper by Keith Haring. Growing 1 hails from the Growing series, a portfolio which exemplifies the core of Haring’s values as an artist and man as well as the overarching purpose he sought to fulfill through his works: unification. The portfolio was created during a period of personal and creative evolution for Haring, who was reflecting on his own experiences and the larger cultural shifts of the 1980s that included racism, threat of nuclear war, LGBTQ+ issues, and the HIV epidemic. The dynamic compositions explore themes of growth, transformation, and renewal.

At the center of Growing 1 is a caterpillar-like figure rendered in bold red and in Haring’s simplistic bold lines. The character’s irregular extremities are made up of multiple persons who are connected in body, supporting one another to remain standing. Charged with gestural lines, the figurehead of the character has lines above its head, a symbol codified in Haring’s oeuvre to indicate enlightenment. Growing 1 displays Haring’s belief in the power of unification to achieve a world where ignorance and prejudice does not rule and the bonds of race, class, sexuality, gender, and sex are broken to unleash a jubilation of differences. The spotted ground, often employed by the artist as a nod to the pervasiveness of the AIDS/HIV crisis, reminds audiences of the importance of optimism in adversity and strength in numbers. The use of bold, primary colors adds to the sense of vibrancy and vitality, creating a work that is evocative of celebration and hope. With the introduction of a caterpillar-esque form in Growing 1, Haring directly references the beginning of a growth journey similar to that of a caterpillar waiting to transform into a butterfly; it suggests that while the path may seem slow, with support, there is potential to turn the individual and society into something beautiful.