David Wojnarowicz
About
David Wojnarowicz was an unclassifiable artist from the New York undergroung scene of the 1980s.
David Wojnarowicz was a musician, painter, poet, photograph, videast and writer. Born into a difficult family context with a violent father, he left school at 16 and became familiar with street life, drugs and prostitution. In New York, he created a powerful and militant expression, working alongside major artists such as Jean Michel Basquiat, Kathy Acker, Keith Haring, Lydia Lunch, Nan Goldin, Richard Kern or Peter Hujar, with whom he became lover. His works denounced the inaction and the hypocrisy of the US Government, as well as conformism and materialism, symbols of the American Dream. His voice acquires a universal and timeless dimension that paints the portrait of a sick society which does not accept the difference. Wojnarowicz died from the virus at 37.
Artworks
Series
The Falling Buffaloes Series
1988 - 1992
The Buffaloes Falling is the most emblematic and exceptional series of David Wojnarowicz with an iconic image that has become a symbole of pop culture. The artist went to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the national museum of natural history, and discovered a diorama that depicted an early Native American hunting technique. Disguising themselves with buffalo or wolf hides, hunters would pass by buffaloes to encourage them to follow them, leading them towards the cliff and push them towards the fall. Several days could be necessary to herd the animals into the correct position which led to their deaths.
The artist adopted this anguishing and alarming image in response to being diagnosed with Aids. This dramatic but artificial diorama illustrates what was a real crisis within his community, establishing a parallel between the extermination of buffalo in 1880 and the epidemic that disproportionately affected homosexuals in 1980. He links the buffaloes' hopeless fate to the negligent public health policies responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. The fall of buffaloes to their death becomes a haunting metaphor of our ecosystems and their own destruction. The artist photographed and reframed the diorama's image in such a way as to create a new majestic image that is also hopelessly, tragically and surprisingly moving. In 1992, the music band U2 used the image as the cover for their single « One. » They also donated substantial profits from its sale to Aids charities and paid the artist's medical expenses. This iconic image really became a symbol of a generation in a struggle. David Wojnarowicz also chose this photograph as the cover of his autobiography, suggesting that it was indeed, a work of great importance.
The Falling Buffaloes Series
Lifetime Prints
The Falling Buffaloes Series
Posthumous Prints
Collections
Collection Mahssa Talaï
Acquired in 2023
Untitled, Buffaloes, 1988 - 1992
Vintage Gelatin Silver Print
45 x 60 cm / 55 x 80 cm
Edition 04 / 12
Dedicated to Steven Wojnarowicz
Resume
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS :
ADDISON GALLERY OF AMERICAN ART, ANDOVER
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO
BROAD FOUNDATION, LOS ANGELES
BROOKLYN MUSEUM, BROOKLYN
CENTRO CULTURAL UNIVERSITARIO, MEXICO
CHAZEN MUSEUM OF ART, MADISON
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART, COLUMBUS
DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, DALLAS
FORD FOUNDATION, NEW YORK
FRAC BRETAGNE, RENNES
GCAC SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
HALLMARK COLLECTION, KANSAS CITY
HAMMER MUSEUM OF ART, LOS ANGELES
HARVARD UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS, CAMBRIDGE
HENRY ART GALLERY, SEATTLE
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, BOSTON
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON.
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK
MUSEO NACIONAL CENTRO DE ARTE REINA SOFIA, MADRID
MUSEUM LUDWIG, COLOGNE
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON
NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA
NEUBERGER MUSEUM, PURCHASE
NEW SCHOOL, NEW YORK
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART, PHILADELPHIA
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, PRINCETON
RISD MUSEUM, PROVIDENCE
SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, SAN FRANCISCO
SMITH COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART, NORTHAMPTON
ST. LOUIS ART MUSEUM, SAINT LOUIS
STEDELIJK MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
TATE GALLERY, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
TEL AVIV MUSEUM OF ART, TEL AVIV
TOKYO MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY, TOKYO
TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART, TOLEDO
VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, RICHMOND
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, NEW YORK
WRISTON ART CENTER GALLERIES, LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY, APPLETON
YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, NEW HAVEN
ART AWARDS :
1991 LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY AWARD, LONG ISLAND
SOLO SHOWS :
2022 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CORRESPONDENCE WITH JEAN PIERRE DELAGE, PPOW, NEW YORK
2021 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING IN THIS KILLING MACHINE CALLED AMERICA, NEW GALERIE, PARIS
2020 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CORRESPONDENCE WITH JEAN PIERRE DELAGE, PPOW, NEW YORK
2020 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, I IS SOMEONE ELSE, MORAN MORAN, LOS ANGELES
2020 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM, MORRIS AND HELEN BELKIN GALLERY, VANCOUVER
2019 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM, KW INSTITUTE, BERLIN
2019 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, HISTORY KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT, MUDAM, LUXEMBOURG
2018 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, HISTORY KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT, MUSEUM REINA SOFIA, MADRID
2018 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, HISTORY KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT, WHITNEY MUSEUM, NEW YORK
2018 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, SOON ALL THIS WILL BE PICTURESQUE RUINS, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
2017 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ONE DAY THIS KID WILL GET LARGER, DEPAUL ART MUSEUM, CHICAGO
2017 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, FLESH OF MY FLESH, ICEBERG PROJECTS, CHICAGO
2016 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, RAGING THROUGH, ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM, NEW BRUNSWICK
2011 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, SPIRITUALITY, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
2009 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, SUPPORTICO LOPEZ, BERLIN
2006 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, RIMBAUD IN NEW YORK, CABINET, LONDON
2006 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, BETWEEN BRIDGES, LONDON
2004 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, OUT OF SILENCE, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
2004 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, RIMBAUD IN NEW YORK, ROTH HOROWITZ GALLERY, NEW YORK
2004 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CLOSE UP, FORUM DES HALLES ESPACE RENCONTRES, PARIS
2001 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, FEATURED WORKS VI, KRANNERT ART MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA
1999 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, FEVER, NEW MUSEUM, NEW YORK
1999 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, THE BOYS GO OFF TO WAR, GRACIE MANSION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1999 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ICONOGRAPHER, ADAM BAUMGOLD GALLERY, NEW YORK
1999 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, REALITY AND REALISM, FALES LIBRARY NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
1999 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ AND PETER HUJAR, SOME SORT OF GRACE, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
1996 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, MY BRAIN IS DRIVING ME CRAZY, THE AMERICAN CENTER, PARIS
1996 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, GALLERY 44 CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY, TORONTO
1994 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, HAL BROMM GALLERY, NEW YORK
1994 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, BRUSHFIRES IN THE SOCIAL LANDSCAPE, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
1993 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, SEVEN MILES A SECOND, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
1992 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, TONGUES OF FLAME, TEMPLE GALLERY AND TYLER GALLERY, PHILADELPHIA
1991 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, IN THE GARDEN, INTERMEDIA ARTS CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
1990 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, IN THE GARDEN, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
1990 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, TONGUES OF FLAME, UNIVERSITY GALLERIES, ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY, NORMAL
1990 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, TONGUES OF FLAME, SANTA MONICA MUSEUM OF ART, SANTA MONICA
1990 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, EXIT ART, DOROTHY GOLDEN GALLERY, SANTA MONICA
1989 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, IN THE SHADOW OF FORWARD MOTION, PPOW GALLERY, NEW YORK
1988 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, GALERIA BUADES, MADRID
1987 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, MEXICAN DIARIES, GROUND ZERO GALLERY, NEW YORK
1987 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, THE FOUR ELEMENTS, GRACIE MANSION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1986 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ARTIER FOUNDATION, PARIS
1986 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ANNA FRIEBE GALERIE, COLOGNE
1986 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, AN EXPLORATION OF THE HISTORY OF COLLISIONS IN REVERSE, GRACIE MANSION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1985 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, PAINTING AND SCULPTURE, INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, PHILADELPHIA
1985 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, MESSAGES TO THE PUBLIC, TIMES SQUARE SPECTACOLOR BOARD, NEW YORK
1985 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, YOU KILLED ME FIRST INSTALLATION, GROUND ZERO, NEW YORK
1984 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, PINTURAS Y ESCULTURAS, CENTRO DE ARTE Y COMUNICACION DE ARTE, BUENOS AIRES
1984 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CIVILIAN WARFARE GALLERY, NEW YORK
1984 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ANNA FRIEBE GALLERY, COLOGNE
1984 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, GRACIE MANSION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1983 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ARTS AND COMMERCE FOUNDATION, NEW YORK
1983 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, HAL BROMM GALLERY, NEW YORK
1983 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ AND KIKI SMITH, CIVILIAN WARFARE, NEW YORK
1983 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, EXHIBITION IN A MAZE, PUBLIC ILLUMINATION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1983 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ALEXANDER MILLIKEN GALLERY, NEW YORK
1982 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, PUBLIC ILLUMINATION GALLERY, NEW YORK
1982 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, ALEXANDER MILLIKEN GALLERY, NEW YORK
1982 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, 411, PUBLIC ILLUMINATION GALLERY, NEW YORK