“Stop to explore these two large vases, transformed by Keith Haring's iconic black lines into a bustling world of radiant babies, barking dogs, and dancing figures, bringing street art energy into the museum.”
These two fiberglass vases, nearly life-sized, are covered in a vibrant, spontaneous network of black lines and figures. They burst with the energy of a crowded cityscape, each vase acting as a canvas for a continuous, flowing narrative. You can spot the familiar "radiant baby" (a crawling infant emitting rays of light) and barking dogs, alongside dancing figures and flying saucers, all rendered in a distinctive, cartoon-like style. The ink marker on fiberglass gives the surfaces a raw, immediate feel, as if the artist had just finished drawing. Created in 1981, this pair exemplifies the artist's early practice of bringing the dynamic visual language of the street and subway into new contexts, transforming everyday objects into lively, story-filled sculptures.
- Artist
- Keith Haring
- Date
- 1981
- Medium
- Ink marker on fiberglass
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Each: 99.1 × 63.5 × 63.5 cm (39 × 25 × 25 in.)
- Collection
- Contemporary Art
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Gift of Lannan Foundation
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Look for the "radiant baby" symbol, a crawling infant with emanating lines.
Spot the barking dogs and dancing figures that populate the surfaces.
Notice the continuous, unbroken lines that define each character and form.
Observe how the black ink contrasts sharply with the white fiberglass.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Untitled (Pair of Vases) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Keith Haring
1958–1989 · United StatesKeith Haring transformed New York City subway chalk drawings into a globally recognized visual language, addressing urgent social issues with his iconic Radiant Baby and dancing figures.
Further Works by Haring
More from Postmodernism
More works to explore
Beyond Haring and Postmodernism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Untitled (Pair of Vases) belongs to.
Same movement · Contemporary Art
Sun Spot
Yayoi Kusama · 1953 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Four Mona Lisas
Andy Warhol · 1978 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Alka Seltzer
Roy Lichtenstein · 1966 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)
Félix González-Torres · 1991
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Corpse and Mirror II
Jasper Johns · 1974 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Untitled (Brown and Gray)
Mark Rothko · 1969 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Wu Street
Xu Bing · 1993 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Olive Picking
Reuven Rubin · 1967 · Rubin Museum
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Krach
Philip West · 1987 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
A Face from Georgia
Ivan Albright · 1970 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
It's a New Age
William Hook · 1992 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Red Plank
John McCracken · 1969 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1960s–1990s
Mt. Negoi in Transylvania Alps Near Faragas Romania Eur Asia
Mogens Balle · 1967 · Art Institute of Chicago




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