Pop Shop V (C), (Littmann P. 149) by Keith Haring is one of the most celebratory images from Haring’s late Pop Shop series, depicting an orange figure riding a purple dolphin against a vivid pink sky.

Produced in 1989 as a silkscreen, the work captures the playful energy and immediacy that defined Haring’s practice. The scene is reduced to a handful of simplified elements — figure, dolphin, waves and radiating motion marks — yet the image feels animated through colour and rhythm alone.

Dolphin imagery appears repeatedly throughout Haring’s later work, often introducing a more fluid and optimistic atmosphere than the confrontational barking dogs or densely packed urban scenes of earlier years.

In Pop Shop V (C) the relationship between the human figure and dolphin suggests harmony, freedom and movement, reinforcing the celebratory tone running throughout the Pop Shop V series. The radiating lines surrounding the figure amplify the sense of energy and exhilaration, transforming the scene into a suspended moment of collective joy.

Opened in 1986, the Pop Shop became one of the clearest expressions of Haring’s democratic philosophy, allowing his imagery to circulate through prints, posters and objects accessible to a broad audience. The silkscreen medium allowed him to maintain the bold colour saturation and graphic immediacy central to his whilst producing highly collectible editioned works.

By 1989, Haring’s imagery had become internationally recognised, yet works such as Pop Shop V (C) reveal the remarkable refinement of his late print practice. Balancing movement, colour and simplified symbolism with extraordinary economy, the work remains a strong example of Haring’s ability to communicate optimism, rhythm and connection through instantly recognisable imagery.

For more information or to buy Pop Shop V (C), (Littmann P. 149) by Keith Haring, contact our specialists using the enquiry button above.