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 sixteen, 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 and 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. David Wojnarowicz died from the virus at 37. 
  • Artworks
    • David Wojnarowicz Untitled, Chest, 1985 Mix media on masonite
      David Wojnarowicz
      Untitled, Chest, 1985
      Mix media on masonite
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    • David Wojnarowicz Untitled, Nest, 1988 Vintage gelatin silver print
      David Wojnarowicz
      Untitled, Nest, 1988
      Vintage gelatin silver print
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    • David Wojnarowicz Untitled, Buffalo, 1988 Vintage gelatin silver print
      David Wojnarowicz
      Untitled, Buffalo, 1988
      Vintage gelatin silver print
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    • David Wojnarowicz Untitled, Buffalo, 1988 Vintage gelatin silver print
      David Wojnarowicz
      Untitled, Buffalo, 1988
      Vintage gelatin silver print
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    • David Wojnarowicz Untitled, Buffalo, 1994 Platinum print on rag paper
      David Wojnarowicz
      Untitled, Buffalo, 1994
      Platinum print on rag paper
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    • David Wojnarowicz Face In Dirt, 1991 Pigmented ink print
      David Wojnarowicz
      Face In Dirt, 1991
      Pigmented ink print
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  • Series
  • The Buffaloes Series 1988 - 1994 3 works Buffalo is the most emblematic and exceptional series of David Wojnarowicz with...
    © All Rights Reserved
    The Buffaloes Series
    1988 - 1994
    3 works

     

    Buffalo 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.

  • « This iconic image became more than the symbol of a generation in a struggle. This became the most magnificient metaphor of a humanity in decline. »

    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.

  • Collections

  • 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

     

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