ACTUP Banners
ACT-UP Banner Paintings
Southern Exposure
1988
This was a series of about 20 painting. Influenced by Jasper Johns and activist banners of the 60s, these paintings layer texts from various political, news, literary sources in the background with one “action” word as the foreground message.
One of the paintings was included in the MIXED MESSAGES (AIDS) Art + Words exhibition at LaMAMA Galeria, June 2011. Curated by John Chaich.
Reviewed (click here) in the New York Times by Holland Cotter.
ASSIST
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
31 x 27 1/2”
Description
Title Color: Dark Blue
Background Color: Pink
Orange Text:
AFRICA AFRICA AFRICA …
Light Green Text:
OVER 100,000 CASES OF AIDS HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN CENTRAL AFRICA HEALTH OFFICIALS PROJECT THAT IN THE NEXT DECADE SO MANY AFRICANS WILL DIE THAT IN SOME REGIONS THERE WON’T BE ENOUGH PEOPLE LEFT TO TILL THE LAND THE WORLD HEALTH
BE AWARE
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
32 3/4 x 25 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: White
Background Color: Pink
Grey Text:
WOMEN GET AIDS TOO WOMEN GET AIDS TOO WOMEN GET AIDS TOO
Dark Pink Text:
IN THE US WOMEN ARE PROPORTIONALTELY THE FASTEST GROWING GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS IN THE US 50% OF WOMEN WITH AIDS ARE BLACK AND 21% ARE LATINA ALTHOUGH BLACKS MAKE UP ONLY 18% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IN THE US AND LATINOS 11%
Title Color: White
Background Color: Pink
Grey Text:
WOMEN GET AIDS TOO WOMEN GET AIDS TOO WOMEN GET AIDS TOO
Dark Pink Text:
IN THE US WOMEN ARE PROPORTIONALTELY THE FASTEST GROWING GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS IN THE US 50% OF WOMEN WITH AIDS ARE BLACK AND 21% ARE LATINA ALTHOUGH BLACKS MAKE UP ONLY 18% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IN THE US AND LATINOS 11%
DECIDE
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
31 x 27 3/4”
Description:
Title Color: Yellow
Background Color: Grey
Dark Lavender Text:
SOME PEOPLE WRONGLY BELIEVE THAT A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT MEANS THEY ARE IMMUNE TO AIDS PEOPLE WHO TEST POSITIVE SHOW INCREASES IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION JOB AND INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION MAY OCCURE IF WE RES
Green Text:
PEOPLE WHO GET TEST RESULTS USUALLY REDUCE HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR BY TAKING THE TEST YOU FIIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN INFECT OTHERS TESTING OFTEN INCREASE COMMITMENT TO GOOD HEALTH TESTING NEGATIVE REDUCES ANXIETY
DEMAND
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
32 x 26 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: White
Background Color: Dark Grey
Yellow Text:
BURROUGHS WELLCOME BURROUGHS WELLCOME BURROUGHS WELLCOME …
Black Text:
AN INVESTIGATION OF COSTS AND PROFITS IN THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBTION OF AZT A COMPLETE AND UNBIASED REPORT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AZT TO BE PUBLISHED NATIONALLY IN THE MEDIA A LIST OF ALL COMPANIES WHO HAVE APPLIED TO WELLCOME BURROUGHS FOR PERMISSION TO USE AZT IN OTHER CLINICAL TRIALS AND THE STATUS OF THOSE APPLICATIONS AN EXPLANATION FOR THE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER USE OF AZT IN CLINICAL TRIALS TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER PROMISING DRUGS AZT MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHOUT RESTRICTION TO ALL RESEARCHERS LOOKING FOR A CURE FOR AIDS A CURE FOR AIDS A CURE
DISRUPT
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
31 x 27 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: Rust
Background Color: Green
Dark Green Text:
WE CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE TO ALLOW SOCIETY TO FUNCTION WHILE WE ARE FACING ANNIHILATION
Lavender Text:
THIS SOCIETY STRIVES TO IMPOSE THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-VIOLENCE ON THE OPPOSITION WHILE DAILY PERFECTING ITS OWN LEGITIMATE VIOLENCE THEREBY PROTECTING THE STATUS QUO BY DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO WE WILL EXPOSE ITS VIOLENCE
Light Green Text:
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
EXPOSE HATRED
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
33 x 28”
Description:
Title Color: Purple
Background Color: Grey
Red Text:
MORAL PANIC MORAL PANIC MORAL PANIC…
Grey Text:
AIDS IS GOD’S JUDGEMENT OF SOCIETY THAT DOES NOT LIVE BY HIS RULES – JERRY FALWELL – TELEVANGELIST BIGOT AND AIDS CRIMINAL. AIDS IS GOD’S JUDGEMENT
DISTRIBUTE
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
30 1/2 x 26 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: Green
Background Color: White
Dark Lavender Text:
THE QUICKER WE START TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH A SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM AND NOT A MORAL ISSUE THE QUICKER WE RECOGNIZE
Blue Text:
ADDICTS CAN DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF STERILIZING THEIR WORKS BY FLUSHING THE SYRINGE TWICE WITH A COMMON HOUSEHOLD BLEACH THEN RINSING TWICE IN THE SAME MANNER WITH FRESH WATER
EDUCATE (black text) white background
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
35 x 27 1/2”
Description
Title Color: Green
Background Color: White
Orange Text:
54% OF THE PEOPLE WITH AIDS IN NEW YORK CITY ARE BLACK AND HISPANIC THE INCIDENCE OF HETEROSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED AIDS IS 7 TIMES HIGHER AMONG BLACKS THAN WHITES 15 TIMES HIGHER AMONG HISPANICS THAN WITHES 88% OF BABIES WITH AIDS ARE BLACK 6% OF THE U.S. AIDS EDUCATION BUDGET IS TARGETED FOR MINOIRITY COMMUNITIES 54% OF THE PEOPLE WITH AIDS IN NEW YORK ARE BLACK AND HISPANIC THE INCIDENCE OF HETEROSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED AIDS
FIGHT BACK
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
34 /14 x 36 1/2”
Description
Title Color: White
Background Color: Black
Pink Text:
ACT UP FIGHT BACK ACT UP FIGHT BACK ACT UP FIGHT BACK
REFORM
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
33 1/2 x 26 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: Yellow
Background Color: White
Dark Blue Text:
PEOPLE ARE BECOMING ANGRY AT AN INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH RESPONSE THAT SAYS WE’RE WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU WHEN YOU’RE SICK AND DYING BUT IF YOU’RE A HEALTHY, HAPPY, WELL ADJUSTED GAY MAN…STAY AWAY
Mauve Text:
IN CRACKING DOWN ON SF DIGNITY WHEN QUINN CITED A 1986 VATICAN DOCUMENT THAT CALLED HOMOSEXUALITY A DISORDER AND AN INTRINSIC MORAL EVIL WHEN WILL GAY CATHOLICS UNDERSTAND THAT MOTHER (CHURCH) IS A CHILD ABUSER
(Note: Quinn was archbishop of San Francisco’s Catholic Church)
ACTUP
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
34 1/4 x 26 1/2”
Description:
Title Color: Yellow Orange
Background Color: Orange
Black Text:
PICTURE PICTURE PICTURE
White Text:
PICTURE A COALITION OF PEOPLE REFUSING TO BE VICTIMS PICTURE A COALITION OF PEOPLE DISTRIBUTING CONDOMS AND CLEAN WORKS PICTURE A COALITION OF PEOPLE EDUCATING OTHERS ABOUT AIDS PICTURE AN ORGANIZATION AND MOBILIZATION
REMEMBER
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
33 x 25”
Description:
Title Color: Red
Background Color: Yellow
Black Text:
RONALD REAGAN RONALD REAGAN RONALD REAGAN…
White Text:
AIDS CRIMINAL AIDS CRIMINAL AIDS CRIMINAL
SEE
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
34 1/4 x 26 1/2”
Description
Title Color: White
Background Color: Green
Lavender Text:
THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCED THAT OCTOBER 88 WAS NATIONAL AIDS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH A PROCLAMATION DEDICATING THE MONTH WAS SIGNED BY REAGAN ON OCTOBER 28TH BUT WAS NOT MADE PUBLIC UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH
Purple Text:
CALCULATED MURDER CALCULATED MURDER
WITNESS
1988
Acrylic on Canvas
37 x 27”
Description:
Title Color: Red
Background Color: White
Text: Black, Yellow, Blue Layers of Numbers