David Wojnarowicz: Photography & Film 1978–1992

Please note that the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is closed to ensure the health and safety of our community and to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Please refer to the gallery’s website for further updates.

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Opening reception
Thursday, January 9 from 6–9 pm

David Wojnarowicz: Photography & Film 1978–1992 is the first exhibition to solely concentrate on the artist’s photographic and filmic work and presents over 100 works including photographs, test prints, silkscreens, 16 mm and Super 8 film and collaborative video works. Wojnarowicz (1954–1992) came into prominence in the New York art world of the 1980s, actively embracing all media and forging an expansive range of work both fiercely political and highly personal. Although largely self-taught, he worked as an artist and writer to merge a sophisticated combination of found and discarded material with a deep understanding of literary influences. First displayed in storefront galleries in the East Village, his work had already gained national prominence by the time he was diagnosed with HIV in 1988. From the late 1970s until his death in 1992, Wojnarowicz produced a body of work that was as conceptually rigorous as it was stylistically diverse, resolutely and fervently political at a time when the AIDS epidemic was cutting down a generation of artists due in large part to government inaction. The exhibition reflects on Wojnarowicz as a source for both art-making and activism at a time of political and personal uncertainty, shedding light on a practice that has been exemplary and inspirational, not only for his contemporaries but also for current generations.

This exhibition contains work that may not be suitable for some viewers. Please note that certain parts of this exhibition are only accessible by stairs. A digital tablet with images of the works in these areas is available at the reception desk. We apologize for any inconvenience.