" FEVER " : The Art of David Vojnarowicz, 1955 -1992, The New Museum, 583 Broadway, New York, January 21 - June 20, 1999.
This is the first retrospective of Vojnarowicz since his death. Vojnarowicz had a difficult childhood, a drunk and abusing father, at the age of 16 he ran from home to live in the streets of Manhattan as a male prostitute. In the end of the Seventies, he collaborated with streets gangs doing Art -Graffiti, Music, he had a band called: " 3 teens kill 4 - no motive ". his friends, Keath Haring, Kenny Sharf, Jenny Holzer and Jean Michel Baskiat, to name few. They exhibited in the East Village galleries, P.P.O.W, Gracie Mansion, and Civil Warfare. The East Village scene flourished, they did it against the Art scene of 57 st. and the Soho galleries, with their expensive art, Art of the rich people, the East Village Art was small scale, not expensive and affordable by young people.
His famous Graffiti, Burning house:
" Burning house ", stencil, 18" x 24", 1981.
" Burning child, 51" x 22" x 26", acrylic, map and collage on mannequin, 1984.
Tel Aviv Museum bought a work of Vojnarowicz:
" Invasion of the alien minds " Acrylic on canvas, 96" x 144", 1985, Tel Aviv Museum.
Towards the end of the Eighties, most of the East Village Galleries closed, P.P.O.W moved to south Broadway, it's there yet, Gracie Mansion moved close to P.P.O.W, then the gallery moved back to the East Village, 54 Saint Marks Place, and Civil warfare closed.
Towards the end of the Eighties most of Vojnarowicz's friends died from aids and drugs. David's best friend, the photographer, Peter Hugar, died of aids and David was also diagnosed positive, he died in 1992.
Vojnarowitz, work are painting, graffiti, photos, music, films and writing, 100 works are on show at the museum, " His work is a visual poetry which emerges from popular culture ", as writes the critic and essayist John Carlin.
David was a fighter for the rights of the homosexuals, and for the recognition of aids as a sickness that has to be dealt by the government.
Links: the New Museum
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