For nearly four decades, artist Kermit Oswald has kept some of the most personal works by his childhood friend Keith Haring. Now, these pieces are being shown publicly for the first time at Sotheby's New York before going to auction on 14 and 15 May.
The collection includes a crib Haring painted in 1986 for Oswald's unborn child. Painted taxi-cab yellow, it features dachshunds (the family dog) and figures representing Oswald and his wife Lisa. The crib is estimated at $250,000 to $350,000.
Oswald met Haring when they were five years old, passing notes in church in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. They shared a love of creating things and delivered newspapers together. Oswald says Haring was influenced by news headlines, and that his untitled works should be read alongside their dates.
The marquee lot is a 1985 self-portrait, one of only six Haring painted on canvas, estimated at $3m to $5m. Oswald chose it from Haring's studio in 1985 when Haring told him to take any work he wanted. Other items include wood relief pieces made with Oswald's help, as Oswald taught Haring woodworking.
Oswald recalls Haring's fame as 'the tiger' – something you work to ride but then must hold on for dear life. He also reveals he was the one who told Haring's family he was HIV positive, after Haring was diagnosed in 1988.
