Photographs by Corrado Serra.
“This exhibition is the first major, monographic presentation of the work of David Wojnarowicz (1954–1992) in over a decade. Wojnarowicz came to prominence in the East Village 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 meld a sophisticated combination of found and discarded materials with an uncanny understanding of literary influences. First displayed in raw storefront galleries, his work achieved national prominence at the same moment that the AIDS epidemic was cutting down a generation of artists, himself included. This presentation draws upon recently-available scholarly resources and the Whitney’s extensive holdings of Wojnarowicz’s work.” — Whitney Museum
David Wojnarowicz with Tom Warren, Self-Portrait of David Wojnarowicz, 1983–84. Collection of Brooke Garber Neidich and Daniel Neidich.
Installation view of Gallery 1
Center: Untitled (Green Head), 1982. Collection of Hal Bromm and Doneley Meris.
Installation view of Gallery 5
Left: The Newspaper as National Voodoo: A Brief History of the U.S.A., 1986. The Broad Art Foundation, Los Angeles. Right: History Keeps Me Awake at Night (For Rilo Chmielorz), 1986. Collection of John P. Axelrod.
Left: The Death of American Spirituality, 1987. Private collection. Right: Evolution, 1987. Collection of Brooke Garber Neidich and Daniel Neidich.
Mexican Crucifix, 1987. P.P.O.W., New York.
Left: Water, 1987. Collection of the Second Ward Foundation. Right: Earth, 1987. The Museum of Modern Art.
Left: Fire, 1987. The Museum of Modern Art. Right: Wind (For Peter Hujar), 1987. Collection of the Second Ward Foundation.
Installation view of Gallery 9
Left: Something from Sleep II, 1987–88. Collection of Steven Johnson and Walter Sudol; courtesy Second Ward Foundation. Right: Bad Moon Rising, 1989. Collection of Steven Johnson and Walter Sudol; courtesy Second Ward Foundation.
Installation view of Gallery 10
Installation view of Gallery 10
Installation view of Gallery 11
This exhibition is co-curated by David Kiehl, Curator Emeritus, and David Breslin, DeMartini Family Curator and Director of the Collection.