Des Magness
History of Photography
8/27/18
Discussion of Untitled (Hujar Dead)
I chose to explore the “History Keeps Me Awake at Night” exhibit at the Whitney, and though many pieces spoke to me greatly, one of the most interesting was a multimedia piece created by Wojnarowicz on the government’s treatment of people suffering from AIDS. The piece uses black and white photographs, acrylic, and screen printing to convey its message. I was surprised to how drawn to it I was, as I normally enjoy more simple and stark pieces. What primarily piqued my interest about this piece was the power of the writing involved, and the excellent combination of different forms to express one meaning. What I really enjoyed about the exhibit overall was how Wojnarowicz effectively used photographs to create a haunting image of a time of pain, mistreatment, and fear. Many of his pieces that included multiple photos in one frame didn’t as literally depict the AIDS crisis, but they acutely conveyed the mood and attitude of the time. Despite their abstractness, understanding the message was easy. In Untitled (Hujar Dead), the artist expertly voices his opinions over gruesome photographs taken of his dying life long friend – evoking enormous amounts of emotion and urgency from the audience. The multi-media collage surrounding the photographs works as a sort of frame, and again emphasizes the way in which government officials are choosing prejudice and monetary reward over human lives. This piece was a specifically strong part of the exhibit – which, as a whole, discussed the AIDS crisis and the trauma it caused within American society. From Wojnarowicz’s point of view specifically, the crisis was a huge failure on the part of the American government and a giant loss of saveable human life. This piece conveyed those messages very clearly.
