Artists
About
The four exhibitions in this series reveal the ethical nature of aesthetic pursuits in relation to AIDS and its treatment, specifically, and the politics of healing, generally.
Keith Theriot, GracesNo. 63 (Sistine M.), 2006, Courtesy of the artist.
The Edge of Light: Selections from the AIDS Museum – Orbit I Gallery
The AIDS Museum is a project in development whose mission is to document,study, and interpret the AIDS pandemic. Featured works by HIV+ artists are from the Museum’s collections.
Andrew Johnson, Detail of Understudied (Pink), 1998, Courtesy of the artist.
Understudied: Paintings by Andrew Johnson – Orbit 2 Gallery
Andrew Johnson is a prolific artist working in diverse media, including sculpture, painting, performance, and installation art. His series of paintings,“Understudied,” proposes a tension between present circumstances in AIDS treatment and the traditions of Dutch still-life painting and its French designation as “nature morte” (literally, “dead nature”)
Hector Canonge, 200 MM3, 2006, Courtesy of the artist.
Hector Canonge: 200MM3 – Rumble Room
Hector Canonge is a documentary filmmaker and New Media artist. As an interactive installation, “200MM3” integrates commercial labeling equipment with laboratory artifacts, barcode scanners, and computers to present intimate video interviews with people affected by the AIDS pandemic.
Nadïne LaFond, Of A Handful, For A Handful, By A Handful, 2002, Courtesy of the artist.
Nadïne LaFond: For a Handful – Pequod Deck
Nadïne LaFond’s paintings do not address HIV/AIDS directly. Her work invokes, instead, a symbology of healing and spirituality grounded in Haitian folk traditions. Haiti, we should recall, was said to be the site of origin for the US AIDS epidemic. The Haitian community suffered racist reprisals in the 1980’s, when the accusation was made and xenophobic scapegoating seemed convenient. The selection of paintings on canvas and paper in this exhibition explore spiritualism and healing in a culture familiar with AIDS and other crises.
