Rare footage offers a peek inside the private party Keith Haring threw for his friends in 1984

Iconic New York pop artist and HIV/AIDS activist Keith Haring passed away 32 years ago today, on February 16, 1990. RIP.

Related: Keith Haring’s greatest erotic masterpiece is hidden in an old men’s room in NYC

Queerty archeologists have unearthed footage taken at a New Year’s Eve party Haring hosted at a gallery in downtown Manhattan to ring in 1984, the same year he collaborated with fashion designer Vivienne Westwood to create the textile for the skirt Madonna wore in her music video “Borderline.”

Related: Pages from Keith Haring’s rare, decidedly safe-for-kids coloring book

How about we take this to the next level?

Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.

Daily

Weekly

The hour-long footage was captured by videographer Nelson Sullivan, who chronicled the city’s queer scene from 1983 until his death in 1989. It offers a fascinating glimpse of Haring and his friends in their prime, the music they listened to, the clothes they wore, the conversations they had, and the way they embraced their LGBTQ identities at a time when doing so was still considered risky.

Watch.

While you’re here, check out Madonna’s “Borderline” music video and see if you can spot Haring’s textile design…