featured gallery for August 2008

Medicine Show

Many of my most cherished friends, and probably the most influential in my life, have been people with AIDS. I'm not sure why it worked out that way. People are no more or less artistic because of whatever health concerns they may have, but dare I say that they were possibly more experimental (or is it just a coincidence?). Either way, it doesn't matter.

The art-making process is in many ways similar to the processes of science, except that the artist is not limited by reality. Art is maybe the one real magic thing in the universe and the kind of medicine we can always use more of. "All You Need Is Love" sounds good but we need real justice and real progress on many fronts as well. The beat and learning goes on.

There is no doubt that things have changed for the better for those living with the virus, but it doesn't diminish the immediacy and need for vigilance that is still required to control and hopefully obliterate the situation.

The Frank Moore Archive Project contains an exceptional group of images by some special individuals. Together it's a whole lot of learning, and represents a unique bank of ideas that can be mined over and over again by different viewers for different reasons. I'm very happy to treat myself to the medicine these artists have concocted, and grateful to the folks at Visual AIDS for giving me the opportunity to dip into this deep pool of insights.