Portrait of Macho Camacho 1985

Keith Haring made this portrait of Macho Camacho with stark lines and bold blocks of colour, which is a good way to grab your attention. It’s all about immediacy and impact, a kind of art-making as performance. The red boxing gloves and outlining frame really pop against the white, drawing your eye to the narrative unfolding. Look at how the snake writhes, all curls and tension, mirroring the boxer's stance. Those little speed lines all over the surface create a visual buzz, like you can almost feel the energy crackling between the figures. Haring's economy of line, his ability to say so much with so little, is pretty impressive. It’s a different mood, but for me, this piece has a similar energy to some of Francis Bacon’s paintings. There is that same sense of raw, exposed nerve, capturing something essential about being human. And like all the best art, it leaves you with more questions than answers.