Keith Haring was one of the most important queer artists. Not because of his friendships with Madonna, Basquiat and Warhol; although his association with Madge and her mentioning him in Truth Or Dare may well be how you first heard of him. But because he used an accessible style to discuss themes pertinent and vital to our community: life, sexuality and death.

His art looks super fun but his message was super serious. That’s such a gifted thing to pull off and in an era when we lost people daily in our communities, we really fucking needed it. Haring was prolific and embraced commerciality because he knew it would spread his message as well as his work. And he knew that his time was running out.  He put his art on T shirts and couture knowing that his famous friends would wear it and spread both his name and get people talking about AIDS.

Today he’s one of those artists that you may know the name but not put two and two together that you’ve seen his art; once reminded you’ll see that you are very familiar with it because it endures. And it continues to crop up; Vivienne Westwood used him and there was a recent range of Haring lolcore in H&M women’s wear.

Keith Haring died of AIDS related illness in 1990. He would have been 57 today.