Artist Lost to AIDS, CENSORED on World AIDS Day

[FreeState]

Truly disgusting.

http://talkaboutequality.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/artist-lost-to-aids-censored-on-world-aids-day/

The interwebs are all abuzz today with news about an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. The exhibit, Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture features a video by artist David Wojnarowicz (who died from AIDS-related illness in 1992). The video, created in 1987, is titled “A Fire in My Belly,” made in honor of Peter Hujar, an artist-colleague and lover of Wojnarowicz who had died of AIDS complications in 1987.

An 11-second portion of the 4 minutes on display (the actual film is 30 minutes long), features a cross with ants crawling over it.

... snip quotes of right wing extremist like Beck saying its a publicly funded exhibit...

As has been reported (and could have easily been found out with the most cursory amount of research by any journalist), this exhibit is entirely privately-funded, as can be discovered by looking at the event’s page on the National Portrait Gallery website. Thanks to Media Matters for more incredible reporting.

So, not only did those who publicly oppose equality successfully censor an openly-gay artist who died from AIDS on World AIDS Day, but they’ve lied to raise wrongful anger against our nation’s greatest museum.We have left some messages for the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, but have not yet heard back. We hope to offer some further information on this soon.

[RKP5637]

1. Recommend!!! n/t

[hedgehog]

2. From what little information I have, the image does not mock Chistianity but

rather identifies the suffering of Christ with the suffering of AIDS victims. As such, it makes some "Christians" uncomfortable as it challenges them with the difference between their claimed ideals and actual behavior.

[FreeState]

3. Exactly

Sometimes I think we need to round up the extremist on the right and force them to take an art class or two.

[mdmc]

4. ..