Haring achieved his first public attention with public art in
subways. These were his first recognized pieces of pop art. The
exhibitions were filmed by the photographer Tseng Kwong Chi.
Around this time, "The Radiant Baby" became his symbol. His bold lines,
vivid colors, and active figures carry strong messages of life and
unity. Starting in 1980, he organized exhibitions in Club 57.
He participated in the Times Square Exhibition and drew, for the first
time, animals and human faces. That same year, he photocopied and pasted
around the city provocative collages made from cut-up and recombined
New York Post headlines.
In 1981 he sketched his first chalk drawings on black paper and painted plastic, metal and found objects.
By 1982, Haring established friendships with fellow emerging artists Futura 2000, Kenny Scharf, Madonna and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Haring created more than 50 public works between 1982 and 1989 in
dozens of cities around the world. His "Crack is Wack" mural, created in
1986, is visible from New York's FDR Drive.
He got to know Andy Warhol,
who was the theme of several of Haring's pieces including "Andy Mouse."
His friendship with Warhol would prove to be a decisive element in his
eventual success, particularly after their deaths.
In December 2007, an area of the American Textile Building in the Tribe Ca neighborhood of New York City was discovered to contain a painting of Haring's from 1979.