Keith Haring's Art Springs to Life in Dynamic Pop-Up Book

Vibrant Pop-Up Book Celebrates Keith Haring’s Iconic Art

By Emma Taggart on July 11, 2024

Keith Haring is known for his colorfully energetic pop art that defines the legendary New York art scene during the 1980s. His life and career was tragically cut short, but his legacy lives on in museums, galleries, and now in a pop-up book.

Crafted by paper engineer Simon Arizpe and designed by Rosston Meyer of Poposition Press, the officially licensed book includes several intricate pop-up spreads celebrating six of Haring’s famous artworks. The pop artist’s famous Sculptures is recreated with a colorful tower of paper figures, and Haring’s famous Dog character leaps out from the book’s pages. The publication also features paper renditions of The Marriage of Heaven & Hell, Pop Shop Grid, Silence=Death, and the Houston Street Mural.

“All of Keith's pieces have such a strong energy. Even all these years later, they look like they were painted a minute before you walk into the room,” Arizpe says when talking about the challenges of creating the book. “I wanted to keep that same spark of spontaneity while paper engineering this book—focusing on the surprise and playfulness already inherent in his original artworks and transforming them into pop-up form.”

Like many of us, Arizpe was initially drawn to Haring’s work for its bright colors and bold visual language. It was only later in life that he came to fully appreciate the profound impact of Haring’s art on the political and social landscape.

“There is a photo of me posing for my senior class photo, with my threadbare vintage Keith Haring t-shirt that I loved and wore into the ground,” he reveals. “Did I know then about Keith Haring, his contributions to pop art, and the New York City graffiti scene, or his advocacy for safe sex and AIDS awareness? Not really.”

Arizpe continues, “It was years later, when I saw a large retrospective of his work in a 2011 show at the Brooklyn Museum, that I started to understand his compound legacy on the art world and queer rights. It was actually during that show that I thought it would be amazing to make a Keith Haring pop-up book ‘someday.'”

The pop-up book is a fitting medium for celebrating Haring’s work, as it is an art form in its own right. The first official pop-up book, considered to be the story of Little Red Riding Hood published in 1855 by Dean & Son, set the stage for this creative format. Since then, paper artists have kept the tradition alive with playful and interactive books.

Poposition Press specializes in producing limited-edition pop-up books, cards, and prints. Each publication, showcasing the work of contemporary artists and designers, is a collectible. These books often come in special editions with bespoke packaging, including slipcases, custom boxes, and more, making each piece extra special.

While the standard Keith Haring pop-up book costs $60, Poposition Press offers a special Altarpiece edition for $350. This deluxe version features a silver foil-stamped cover and is housed in a laser-etched wooden case reminiscent of an altarpiece. The set includes a Love greeting card and an additional Once Upon A Time… interactive diorama, depicting Haring’s iconic NYC LGBTQ Center mural.

You can now buy the Keith Haring Pop Up Book here and pre-order the Altarpiece edition online.