From the 'A-train' to fighting AIDS.

• Position: Keith Haring lithograph created in 1990 to accompany a UN Postal Association stamp series

The grimy walls of the New York City underground subway system might seem an unlikely canvas for launching an art career. But from these bizarre beginnings, the unusual work of American pop artist Keith Haring soon came to light in major galleries and museums around the world. Born in a small Pennsylvania town in 1958, the young man created a distinctive, disturbing urban art with cross-cultural hieroglyphics encompassing social and political themes--from a Harlem billboard with the stark warning "Crack is Wack" to "Free South Africa" posters to a 300-foot mural on the Berlin Wall.

After beginning studies at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts, Mr. Haring quickly became immersed in the downtown arts scene of the early 1980s, developing his trademark white chalk, graffiti-style drawings--the spaceship, barking dog and "glowing baby" are examples--on the streets and walls of New York. His deep commitment to the fight against the disease that ultimately killed him is demonstrated in his powerful work on our June cover--"Fight AIDS Worldwide".

With its bold...