Icons

The 5 lithograph series was published in 1990, the same year Keith Haring passed away. These are Haring’s signature characters as TAG. The image of the crawling baby is particularly the most common and referenced of his figures.
“The Radiant Baby” was to symbolize and represent youthful innocence, purity, goodness and potential. The character, itself, is a reflection of Haring himself.
“The Dog” is another recognizable and distinguishable character. The barking dog does not generally have explicit symbolism, though sometimes indicates action taking and suspicion.
“The Angel” addresses not only the presence of spiritual beings and the guardians of human being, but also the complexities of life, power, and chaos.
The cross, or ‘x’, found on the chest of “The Winged Man” is interpretated as not only marks but death, a cross, to coupling or representing a sign of mystery.
The “Smiley Face” is another frequently used character found in many of Keith Haring’s works. This icon, the three-eyed face, is a mysterious figure, often associated with greed and excess. Alternatively, this character has been used to represent the unknown cosmos and cosmic energy. However, according to Haring himself, “there is no particular meaning” behind this figure.