Description

David Wojnarowicz (1954–1992) was a largely self-taught artist who emerged from the vibrant New York art scene of the 1980s, a period marked by creative energy, financial precariousness, and profound cultural changes. His work, spanning photography, painting, film, music, sculpture, writing, and activism, refused to conform to a single style, embracing a wide variety of techniques with an attitude of radical possibility. This fearless approach enabled him to infiltrate and challenge the prevailing culture, especially as conservative politics resurged during the era.

The Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibition, History Keeps Me Awake at Night, is the most comprehensive retrospective of Wojnarowicz's work since his untimely death from AIDS-related complications in 1992. The exhibition brings together over 100 pieces, including paintings, drawings, photographs, films, and archival materials, all reflecting Wojnarowicz's relentless commitment to exposing and challenging the social and political injustices of his time. His art serves as a searing critique of the cultural and political landscape, addressing themes such as the AIDS crisis, censorship, and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ communities. The title of the exhibition, drawn from one of Wojnarowicz’s most iconic works, underscores the enduring relevance of his art.

Organized into thematic sections, History Keeps Me Awake at Night traces the evolution of Wojnarowicz's artistic vision. The exhibition showcases his early photographic series, which document the precarious lives of New York's marginalized communities, and his later mixed-media paintings that intertwine mythology with sharp social commentary. His film works, blending autobiographical elements with broader societal critiques, add further depth to his complex narrative.

In addition to his visual art, Wojnarowicz was a prolific writer, and the exhibition includes his journals, essays, and rare archival materials such as personal correspondence and unpublished texts. These writings offer profound insights into his thoughts on art, politics, and identity, providing a richer understanding of his life and legacy.

Wojnarowicz saw the outsider as his true subject, and as a queer man diagnosed with HIV, he became an impassioned advocate for people with AIDS during a time when government inaction led to the deaths of countless friends, lovers, and strangers. His work not only documents and illuminates a desperate period in American history—the AIDS crisis and culture wars of the late 1980s and early 1990s—but also places him among the rebellious and haunting voices, like Walt Whitman and William S. Burroughs, who explore the myths, realities, and violence of American culture. His work delves into timeless themes of sex, spirituality, love, and loss, echoing his belief that “to make the private into something public is an action that has terrific ramifications.”