This 1987 Untitled photo print from American Pop artist sensation Keith Haring is an astoundingly unique piece of art within art. Untitled was created spontaneously at a gallery in Nice, France with art dealer Yves Arman. Haring wrote of the instance in his journal on October 11, 1987:

“They had an incredible machine I had never seen before that could make photo prints instantly– similar to a Xerox machine, but doing very accurate reproductions on photo paper. Yves had the idea for me to paint my hand and make small edition prints of it. It sounded fun, so why not? (Keith Haring Journals).”

After embellishing his palm with “a small Japanese brush and China ink,” Haring traded prints for a Picasso etching and an alligator ashtray.

Depicting Haring’s own hand filled in every available space with intricate design of simple, geometric forms against a shiny pink fabric, the Untitled print anomalously displays the artist’s description on the front side written in perfectly playful handwriting that gives the piece an even more intimate touch. The stylistically signature sketches depicted in Untitled were shaped by the cartoon strips, illustrative books, and graffiti-adorned walls that attracted Haring in his young life. Many of these forms first decorated his early canvas, the walls of his childhood home, and became recurring symbols in his career.

Not only does Untitled feel like a personal note from Haring, but its contrasting textures and colors are a visual feast. Even the flash quality of the print freezes a verifiably enjoyable memory for Haring and immortalizes the spirit of his creativity and youth.