Lines of Resistance: Vittorio Scarpati’s Drawings in the Face of AIDS

Devon Vander Voort and Jarrett McCusker are pleased to present Lines ofResistance: Vittorio Scarpati’s Drawings in the Face of AIDS, an exhibition showcasing the deeply personal and evocative drawings of Italian artist and cartoonist Vittorio Scarpati (1955-1989). The exhibition will take place at 279 Broome Street from April 3 to May 9, 2025, with an opening reception on April 3 from 6 PM to 8 PM.

Scarpati’s “deathbed drawings,” created during his four-month stay at Manhattan’s Cabrini Medical Center, stand as powerful acts of artistic resistance, illustrating his pain, humor, and defiance in the face of AIDS. As he los this ability to speak due to the collapse of his lungs, drawing became his most poignant form of communication. These works, created with a delicate yet determined hand, offer insight into the struggles, resilience, and creativity of an artist confronting his mortality

Through intricate line work and deeply personal imagery, Scarpati’s drawings navigate themes of suffering, medical alienation, and the intersection of art and survival. His works are presented alongside ephemera that document his life and relationship with writer and actress Cookie Mueller, including photographs from their time in Italy and their Manhattan rooftop wedding. A proof copy of Putti’s Pudding, their posthumously published collaborative book pairing Scarpati’s drawings with Mueller’s writings, serves as a cornerstone of the exhibition.

This exhibition places Scarpati’s work within the broader historical context of artists lost to AIDS-related complications, including Keith Haring, Robert Mapplethorpe, Félix González-Torres, and David Wojnarowicz. It also highlights the continued impact of the epidemic, which has claimed an estimated 42.3 million lives globally ,with 630,000 lives lost in 2023 alone, according to the World Health Organization.