During my first Interrail trip through Europe in the summer of 1983, I met all sorts of travelers. Among them was Andrew, a funny, adventurous dude from New York City. We crossed paths on the island of Corfu, and after a week or so of hanging out there, we took the ferry back to mainland Greece and continued north to Switzerland on a train bound for Hamburg. Andy wanted me to join him and experience the Montreux Jazz Festival, which had commissioned Keith Haring to design that year’s official poster. The festival had an astonishing lineup that year: Art Blakey, Buddy Guy, Fats Domino, Herbie Hancock, Rickie Lee Jones, Level 42, King Sunny Adé, Musical Youth, Gil Evans and Woody Herman among others.

At the time of Keith Haring’s breakthrough, I had never been to New York or encountered his art. But the motifs and neon color palette he used totally blew me away. His work inspired me, and I went on to create several paintings and murals that clearly reflected his influence.

Recently, a friend visiting Switzerland spotted this piece by Haring and sent me a photograph of it.