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About the Work
""People Ladder" (Three Lithographs)" is a lithograph created by Keith Haring in 1985. From the edition of 107, the artwork is signed and dated 'K. Haring 85 +' and annotated, lower right vertically. The image size is 40 x 32" and the artwork is framed in a contemporary white frame. The artwork ships framed and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Created at the height of Keith Haring’s meteoric artistic rise, ‘People Ladder’ (1985) is an exuberant and iconic work that encapsulates the artist’s core themes of unity, movement, and collective strength. One of three large-scale lithographs from the Three Lithographs portfolio, this work translates Haring’s universally recognized visual language into a vivid, kinetic celebration of community and human connection.
Rendered in just three colors—black, white, and red—People Ladder is a masterclass in graphic simplicity and expressive intensity. Two vertical towers of Haring’s signature human figures are stacked, climbing one another in a visual rhythm of upward energy. Each body pulses with motion lines, a hallmark of Haring’s style, imbuing the still image with a sense of dance, vitality, and communal joy. The two human towers stand face to face, like mirror images or counterparts, suggesting dialogue, equality, or mutual support. Surrounding the entire image is a bold red border, framing the action like a stage, a symbol of focus, or even a symbolic barrier to protect the vibrancy within. The figures, faceless and identical, reflect Haring’s vision of humanity without hierarchy or distinction—a democratized, interconnected body of individuals joined in movement and purpose. Despite their abstraction, they convey emotion, momentum, and above all, shared intention.
In works like People Ladder, Haring gives form to his belief in interconnected humanity. The ladders of people are not just climbing structures—they are metaphors for support systems, for societies built on mutual elevation and cooperation. There is no top figure; each is both a base and a climber, a reflection of Haring’s egalitarian philosophy.
With its bold outlines, motion-infused figures, and use of minimal color, People Ladder is instantly recognizable as Haring, yet it offers one of his most layered metaphors of cooperation and movement. Dated 1985, the work belongs to a critical turning point in Haring’s trajectory, when his visual vocabulary was reaching its full expressive power. In today’s cultural and political climate, the image of people lifting one another—both literally and metaphorically—feels timely, powerful, and hopeful.
People Ladder is more than a striking composition—it is a visual anthem for solidarity, cooperation, and upward motion. With its rhythmic energy, minimalist palette, and accessible symbolism, the work captures everything that made Keith Haring an icon: clarity, compassion, and a relentless belief in the power of human connection.
To own this print is to hold a celebration of collective strength—graphic, joyful, and enduring.
About the Artist
Keith Haring was a social activist and artist who wasn’t afraid to depict and publicize controversial topics such as war, sexuality, life, and death with his art. Haring used New York City - the walls, stations, and buildings - as his canvas, creating masterpieces for the public eye. His signature cartoon style combined his outspoken political and social activism place Haring amongst the legends in the art world. Born May 4, 1958, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Haring grew up fascinated by the cartoon art of Walt Disney, Charles Schultz, and even Dr. Seuss. Haring’s father also drew cartoons as a hobby in his free time, inspiring a young Haring to perhaps make his own one day. Eventually, as a grown man, he moved to New York City to enroll at the School of Visual Arts. It is there Haring found his artistic peers and social niche and became acquainted with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Kenny Scharf, among other individuals in the underground art scene.
More from Keith Haring
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