Details:
① Artwork:
Silence=Death (unframed)
Created by the Silence=Death Collective in 1986, this design was originally produced as a wheat pasting that peppered New York City to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic. The collective intentionally eschewed any photographic imagery, instead reclaiming the pink triangle assigned to LGBTQ+ prisoners in Nazi death camps set against a black background with ‘Silence=Death” printed across the bottom. It has since become a defining symbol of queer pride and resistance. Proceeds from the sale of every print will go to benefit the charitable organization, Visual AIDS.
For a framed version, click here.
Specs:
This work is printed with a carefully chosen black ink that is sensitive when touched. When handling this print, please be careful to only touch the margins.
③ Artist:
The Silence=Death Collective was formed in 1986 to raise awareness about the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis. Together, the group’s six members designed a poster that was rapidly wheat-pasted across New York City. The powerful graphic soon became a symbol of the fight against AIDS at protests around the world.
It’s been 40 years since the CDC released its first report on AIDS, making now a poignant time for reflection on the disease’s very real human and politcal impact. Collective member Avram Finkelstein said, “I believe we’re uniquely poised to reexamine the many counternarratives that fall into the shadows of our cultural storytelling surrounding HIV/AIDS, particularly during this moment in our shared social history, when those of us who survived one pandemic are able to consider the meanings of our current one, in dialogue with an intergenerational cohort of artists, archivists, activists and historians.”
④ Additional:
Notes from Avram Finkelstein's journal
Originally created as a poster in 1986, this is the first fine art print of the powerful design that became a symbol of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Proceeds from the sale of every print will go to benefit the charitable organization, Visual AIDS.More
- Unframed
- Edition of 200
- Purchases of this work are final sale, as proceeds go to benefit Visual AIDS
