alanspazzaliartist: Hugh Steers, diagnosed in 1987 with HIV, maintained a commitment to figuration f
alanspazzaliartist: Hugh Steers, diagnosed in 1987 with HIV, maintained a commitment to figuration for the duration of his career—cut dramatically short by AIDS in 1995. Painted just a year after he learned he was HIV positive, “Blue and White Stripes” (1988) is a tender domestic scene. In the midst of the AIDS crisis—confronted by so much anger, hatred, and fear—the artist explained his need for compassion, saying, “I would like to be able to act or have someone care about me the way some of the people in my paintings act or care about each other. It’s as if painting it will make it become real.” A dream-like tableau of romantic longing, as Steers’ friend Julie Heffernan summarizes, “In a real way those characters were Hugh’s constant companions, avatars of love and friendship that every one of us needs in order to survive day-to-day.” -- source link
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