New Museum of Contemporary Art
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Fever:
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Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz Retrospective at the New Museum Celebrates Work that Pushed the Boundaries of Contemporary Art and Society
Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz is the first retrospective of this defining figure in American art since his death in 1992. The exhibition places the artist's work within the context of critical social and aesthetic issues of the second half of the twentieth century, while presenting a complete picture of his accomplishments to a generation of viewers who have never experienced the full range of his work. Fever brings together over one hundred of Wojnarowic's most important paintings, sculptures, installation works, graphics, photographs, films, videos, music, and writings. Organized by Senior Curator Dan Cameron, the exhibition will be on view from January 21, 1999 to June 20, 1999.
"Wojnarowicz's work is a form of visual poetry which emerges from popular culture, social history and his own dreams and visions," writes critic and essayist John Carlin. Wojnarowicz had a difficult childhood complicated by an abusive father and an emerging sense of his own homosexuality. By the age of sixteen, he had left home and was living on the streets of New York. From his experiences, he documented a passionate world of outsiders--hustler and homeless, club kids and rednecks--and, in his own words, "started developing ideas of making and preserving an authentic version of history in the form of images/writings/objects that would contest state-supported forms of 'history.'"
Unhindered by lack of resources, pizza boxes and shirt cardboard became Wojnarowicz's sketchbooks; trash can lids and the dilapidated walls of the Hudson River piers became his canvases. In later work, he cut apart money and maps to create collage works that deconstructed economic and political boundaries, as in Fear of Evolution (1988-89). Because of his versatility and his constant use of different media, critics were unable to place his work within an art historical context. "Whether consciously or not," says Cameron, "Wojnarowicz helped lay the groundwork for how an individual artist's practice might incorporate as many possibilities as there were techniques and materials to work with." In turn, he paved the way to greater freedom in choice of media for a future generation of artists.
Wojnarowicz emerged in the late seventies as part of the first wave of East Village artists, including Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jenny Holzer, and Jean-Michel Basquiat--artists who were known for their work on the streets. Promoting his post-punk band "3 Teens Kill 4--No Motive," Wojnarowicz plastered the streets of the Lower East Side with stenciled images of soldiers, burning houses, and a man with a target on his face. These images--like Untitled [Burning House, stencil] (1981)--became icons of Wojnarowicz's work, mixing personal and political statements with images both primitive and industrial. He used these images over and over in his work, forming a new vocabulary of symbols. Wojnarowicz began developing series of works in the early 80's for group shows at galleries such as Civilian Warfare, Hal Bromm and Gracie Mansion. From stencils and collage, he moved on to painting, installation, and other media, displaying a natural talent and exploring new forms of expression. He collaborated regularly with other artists such as Mike Bidlo, Kiki Smith, Greer Langston, James Romberger, and Richard Kern, and was known for his generosity in helping other artists and donating work to benefits. His collage works combined both his own paintings and photographs and the works of other artists, which he peppered with images of animals, insects and men embracing: symbols conveying themes of love, death, evolution and re-incarnation. In Something From Sleep II (1987-88), Wojnarowicz illustrates the breakdown of economic barriers and draws historical parallels by combining pieces of money and maps with drawings and mixed media. Later, in Sex Series (1988-89), Wojnarowicz seemed to confront his own sense of mortality by juxtaposing standard images of trains, ships, and bridges with disturbing images and texts about sex and death.
Wojnarowicz gained prominence with the inclusion of his work in the Whitney Biennial in 1985, but enjoyment of his success was short-lived. Two years later, in 1987, Peter Hujar, a photographer who was to Wojnarowicz a brother, a father figure and a best friend, died of AIDS. Soon after, Wojnarowicz was diagnosed HIV-positive. His art took on a sharply political edge, and he became entangled in highly public debates about medical research and funding, morality and censorship in the arts, and the legal rights of artists. In November 1989, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) refused funding to an exhibition of essays about AIDS at Artists Space entitled, Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing, specifically because of the way that Wojnarowicz’s contribution, "Postcards from America," described violent visions for both himself and certain politicians. Critics responded to this and other activism he propagated through his art by categorizing him the iconic "Angry Gay Man." As a result, much of the work he created during the poignant and productive period before his death in 1992 was not given the public attention it deserved. In Fever, that work is brought back into light, placed in the context of a life colored by love, determination, rage, and limitless creative expression.
"Versace Classic is the corporate sponsor of Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz in continuation of Gianni Versace's passion and support for the arts," says Andreas Kurz, CEO and President of Versace Classic. "Although Gianni Versace and David Wojnarowicz expressed themselves in different mediums, they shared great similarities of vision. Drawing freely from popular culture, they created their own individual genres which shocked some people, moved others, and communicated to people of all cultures." Additional works by David Wojnarowicz will be on view in the Saks Fifth Avenue windows in conjunction with Versace Classic and Saks Project Art from January 27 through February 3, 1999.
OUT Magazine is proud to be the media sponsor of Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz furthering its commitment to queer art and culture.
Major support for Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Judith Rothschild Foundation and through the William T. Olander Fund at the New Museum.
Complimenting the Exhibition:
A fully illustrated catalogue co-published with Rizzoli International will accompanies the exhibition. Edited by Amy Scholder, the catalogue features essays by Dan Cameron, C. Carr, Mysoon Rizk, and John Carlin and will include selections of writing by David Wojnarowicz from Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration, The Waterfront Journals, and Memories that Smell Like Gasoline.
Optic Nerve, an interactive CD-ROM produced by the Red Hot organization and Funny Garbage in collaboration with the New Museum, includes videos and films made by or featuring Wojnarowicz, music and performances by the artist, and extensive interviews, much of which has never been released before. The CD-ROM will be on sale in the New Museum Bookstore during the exhibition, and four dollars from the sale of each disc will be donated to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a New York-based organization for gay and lesbian youth that Wojnarowicz supported.
The first online exhibition of Wojnarowicz’ art will be presented by Queer Arts Resource(QAR) in their virtual gallery at http://www.queer-arts.org. Launching on February 7, 1999, the site will feature images from the New Museum’s exhibition with explanatory texts, along with the artist’s essay, "Self-Portrait in 23 Rounds." QAR is a non-profit, Internet-based educational forum that is a project of the Tides Center of San Francisco. The New Museum's site, at www.newmuseum.org will link to QAR throughout the exhibition.
Three programs pertaining to the exhibition are scheduled in collaborations between the New Museum, theVera List Center for Art and Politics, and The New School's Writing and Photography Programs. Mondays, 7:00pm $15 admission for all three sessions, $7 single program.
8.Feb.99 Friends and Collaborators: Dan Cameron, Senior Curator at the New Museum, with a panel of artists who were associated with Wojnarowicz in the East Village art scene.
22.Feb.99 Unfinished Opus: Wojnarowicz’s work in music, from his East Village band "3 Teens Kill 4--No Motive" to Shadow of Forward Motion, a work made in collaboration with composer Ben Neil.
8.March.99 My America: A program of readings from Wojnarowicz's published writings by authors and performance artists. Organized by Amy Scholder.
Museum Admission Free to members $5.00 general $3.00 artists/students/seniors Visitors 18 and under free Thursday 6:00 - 8:00 pm free Public Access Gallery admission is free.
Directions Subway:
6 to Spring Street or Bleecker Street
N/R to Prince Street
A/C/E to Spring Street
B/D/F/Q to Broadway Lafayette
Bus: #1/#5/#6/#21 to Houston Street or Broadway
The New Museum of Contemporary Art receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, and by the Director’s Council and members of the New Museum.
For more information contact:
Meg Blackburn
Public Relations Coordinator
212.219.1222 ext. 217
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