Keith Haring Totem (Wood), 1989

Executed at the end of Keith Haring’s meteoric career, Totem (Wood), 1989 stands as one of the artist’s most visually commanding and sculpturally ambitious editions. Unlike Haring’s better-known flat works on paper or canvas, this carved plywood wall relief transforms his unmistakable visual language into a deeply physical object—bridging the worlds of painting, sculpture, architecture, and ancient symbolism. Measuring an imposing 72 3/8 inches high, the work possesses a nearly human scale, giving it a powerful presence that immediately dominates the wall like an idol, ceremonial shield, or sacred relic.

Created as a carved plywood relief painted with enamel, Totem (Wood) demonstrates Haring’s fascination with primal imagery and universal communication. The composition rises vertically like an ancestral monument, recalling indigenous carvings, African tribal sculpture, Pre-Columbian glyphs, Oceanic ritual objects, and ancient hieroglyphic columns. Yet despite these historical references, the work remains unmistakably Haring: radiant figures, vibrating black contour lines, symbolic energy marks, and rhythmic geometric forms combine into a dynamic visual language that transcends spoken language or cultural boundaries. Haring intentionally sought imagery that could communicate instantly and universally, and Totem (Wood) embodies that ambition at the highest level.

The sculptural nature of this work is especially important within Haring’s oeuvre. While many collectors associate Haring with subway drawings, Pop Shop graphics, or silkscreen editions, works such as Totem (Wood) reveal his evolution into a multidisciplinary artist deeply engaged with space, objecthood, and monumentality. The carved relief format gives the imagery an architectural permanence rarely seen in his two-dimensional works. Light interacts with the carved surface, casting subtle shadows along the incised forms and emphasizing the tactile depth of the composition. The result is an artwork that changes throughout the day depending on viewing angle and illumination, creating a far more immersive experience than a traditional print or painting.

The scale is another defining characteristic of the piece. At over six feet tall, Totem (Wood) possesses the authority of a public artwork while remaining intimate enough for a private collection. Haring understood scale intuitively; he recognized that enlarging his figures transformed them from graphic symbols into commanding cultural icons. Here, the towering verticality amplifies the spiritual and ceremonial quality of the composition. The work feels less like decoration and more like a contemporary artifact—part mural fragment, part sacred monument.

Produced in a highly limited edition of only 35 examples plus artist’s proofs, Totem (Wood) is among the rarest and most sought-after sculptural editions from Haring’s late career. It was published by Edition Schellmann, the legendary Munich and New York publisher responsible for many of the most important editions by postwar masters including Baselitz, Warhol, and Haring himself.

The importance of the Totem series lies in how completely it synthesizes Haring’s artistic philosophy. During the late 1980s, Haring increasingly explored universal spirituality, collective humanity, and the ancient origins of symbolic communication. The totem format allowed him to merge contemporary urban visual culture with references to ancient civilizations and ritualistic objects. Rather than appropriating historical forms superficially, Haring reimagined them through the lens of late twentieth-century New York street culture, creating something simultaneously ancient and radically modern.

Examples from the Totem series are held in significant institutional collections. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds the monumental Totem woodcut edition in its permanent collection, underscoring the museum-level importance of the series within Haring’s body of work. Works by Haring are also represented in the collections of major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Stedelijk Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Japan.

Market appreciation for Totem (Wood) has accelerated significantly in recent years, reflecting growing recognition of Haring’s sculptural works as some of the most important and visually compelling objects from the Neo-Pop era. Auction results have demonstrated strong international demand, particularly for well-preserved examples retaining vibrant original enamel surfaces.

Ultimately, Totem (Wood), 1989 represents far more than a late-career edition. It is a monument to Haring’s belief that art could function as a universal visual language—accessible, energetic, spiritual, and timeless. Combining the immediacy of street art with the permanence of sculpture and the symbolism of ancient ritual objects, this work stands among the most iconic sculptural achievements of Keith Haring’s career.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Keith Haring Totem (Wood), 1989 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Littmann, Klaus. Keith Haring: Editions on Paper 1982-1990, The Complete Printed Works. Hatje Cantz Publishers: New York, 1993. Keith Haring Totem is listed and illustrated.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany our Keith Haring Totem.

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