Early in the 1980s AIDS epidemic, six gay activists created one of the most iconic and lasting images that would come to symbolize a movement: a protest poster of a pink triangle with the words “Silence = Death.” The graphic and the slogan still resonate today, often used—and misused—to brand the entire movement. Cofounder of the collective Silence = Death and member of the art collective Gran Fury, Avram Finkelstein tells the story of how his work and other protest artwork associated with the early years of the pandemic were created. In writing about art and AIDS activism, the formation of collectives, and the political process, Finkelstein reveals a different side of the traditional HIV/AIDS history, told twenty-five years later, and offers a creative toolbox for those who want to learn how to save lives through activism and making art.
By:
Avram Finkelstein
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 203mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 318g
ISBN: 9780520351332
ISBN 10: 0520351339
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 30 June 2020
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Author’s Note Introduction: AIDS 2.0 PART I. SILENCE = DEATH 1. The Immigrant 2. The Political Poster 3. War PART II. GRAN FURY 4. Read My Lips 5. Kissing Doesn’t Kill 6. Art Is Not Enough PART III. AFFINITY 7. Men: Use Condoms or Beat It 8. Women Don’t Get AIDS, They Just Die from It 9. The Four Questions, Part 1: The Viral Divide 10. The Four Questions, Part 2: Intergenerationality Epilogue: Notstalgia Index
Avram Finkelstein is a founding member of the Silence = Death and Gran Fury collectives. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the New Museum, and the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Reviews for After Silence: A History of AIDS through Its Images
Finkelstein's life of activism and creativity is hugely impressive, and this book is a perfect reflection of that. It is emotionally and intellectually engaging at once, never losing sight of the political history the author is recounting. * Gay and Lesbian Review * While there is no equation for writing history, this generous and generative book will inspire artists, activists, and historians to do the math themselves. * Critical Inquiry * Finkelstein makes sure to emphasise the partiality of his story, while offering an admirably detailed and carefully drawn picture of the many affinities that made his story to stick out. * Gesnerus *
