Haring meets Koch

photo: from Keith Haring the authorised biography

In 1984, Keith Haring was asked to design a logo for an anti-litter campaign by the New York City Dept of Sanitation, and to thank him for his efforts, he was invited to meet the mayor, Ed Koch, who was notoriously anti-graffiti.

In Haring's authorised biography by John Gruen, Haring says the campaign was called 'Don't be a litter pig', and he came up with a cartoon pig for them. He met Koch at the campaign's launch  and used the opportunity to present the mayor with Haring's book Art In Transit, which included photos of Haring's subway drawings.

Hearing about the meeting, Haring finds that "This is hysterical, because Mayor Koch is an avowed enemy of graffiti art [see below clip], but I go to the ceremony and present him with my book... [and get a snap] of the mayor looking completely horrified at this book of my graffiti art!"