Two of the painted cars by famed graffiti artist Keith Haring are heading to New York to debut at Free Parking, a new West Village gallery.

All-Terrain Art

Keith Haring’s signature style allowed him to build up a reputation during his stint as a graffiti artist, when he drew thousands of pieces in New York’s subway stations from 1980 to 1985. In the decade before the artist’s passing, he painted four vehicles in his distinctive style.

The West Village gallery displaying two of his pieces is by CART Dept. Founded by Larry Warsh, this is a platform specifically dedicated to spotlighting automobiles as art objects. The upcoming exhibition titled “Keith Haring: In The Street” will celebrate the release of the book Keith Haring in 3D, which will be released on April 22.

Warsh owns both pieces going on display from April 9-19, which include the 1963 Buick Special and the 1971 Series III Land Rover. According to ArtNet, Warsh typically stores both vehicles in a warehouse right outside of the city.

Haring painted the Land Rover for the 1983 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, including the event name among the colorful collection of symbols from Haring’s semiotics-driven lexicon. The vehicle’s first artistic appearance took place 10 years ago at Los Angeles’s Peterson Automotive Museum, alongside the Buick. The Buick, or the first car that Haring ever painted, was created as a gift for the architect of his Soho Pop Shop.

To honor the New York debut of this exhibition, CART Dept. is also featuring some of street art’s greatest living names in a series of panels. For instance, choreographer Muna Tseng will share “Stories from the Street” with cultural critic Carlo McCormick on April 11. Powerhouse Arts leader Eric Shiner will collaborate with muralist Marka27 on April 14 to discuss “When Street Art Becomes Sculpture.” Haring’s time in New York will also be explored further with the help of the artist’s biographer, Brad Gooch, on April 18.

“Keith Haring: In The Street” is on view at Free Parking, April 10–19.