featured gallery for December 2008

Salute

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day and the corresponding "Day With(out) Art," HIV Plus magazine wanted to honor the visionaries who've brought -- and those who continue to bring -- beauty to our world. We've collaborated with the organization Visual AIDS to curate this special anniversary exhibit, which we call "Salute."

The 20 works we selected represent a wide range of artistic forms -- paintings, drawings, sculpture, posters, photography, collages and mixed media. This variety is a mirror of the vast diversity of the pandemic and of the people affected by HIV -- men, women and children; mothers, fathers, daughters and sons; gays, straights and bisexuals; the old and the young; the rich and the poor; and people of all colors and ethnicities.

We've included both well-known artists, including renowned graffiti artist Keith Haring, and those living outside the limelight who draw strength from their art for their own battles against the disease, inspiring others to find that same commitment, focus and sense of purpose.

We also spotlight seminal works by both artists we lost far too early and those who are still fighting the good fight against HIV each and every day.

Some of the pieces in "Salute" are overtly sexy, many are deeply layered and nuanced, while others are forceful through their simplicity and starkness. Some stir feelings of sadness, loss, emptiness, or nostalgia; others inspire and enliven. Some are timely; others, timeless. Some reveal new truths and spark different feelings each time they're examined, while others sear into your soul upon first glance.

But all of the pieces are poignant lessons on what it truly means -- on a personal and individual level -- to be living with or affected by HIV.

So, please, take a few moments with our exhibit -- and visit the HIV Plus website at www.hivplusmag.com -- to revel in just a tiny piece of the enriching beauty that the pandemic can never take from us.