Scope & Context
For this project I wanted to focus on an artist rooted in New York and its history. Ever since seeing the Peter Hujar: Speed of Life exhibition at the Morgan Library and Museum two years ago, I’ve been increasingly interested in his work and how it depicted New York and its art scene.
Although Hujar is mostly known for his portraits, I wanted to make sure to include photographs of his work of cityscapes and self-portraits. Another reason why I wanted to feature his work was because it features the unfolding of gay life after Stonewall in the city, from his work with the Gay Liberation Front, to the scenes captured with his Christopher St. Pier series, and his portraits of drag performers Divine and Candy Darling.
Even though all his photographs are in black and white, the quality of his prints— which he would hand-make in the dark room, reveal an incredible range of texture in its blacks and simmering grays.
The New Yorker art critic, Peter Schjeldahl, said when comparing Hujar to his other contemporaries, like Mapplethorpe and Avedon, that “his pictures share, in place of a style, an unfailing rigor that can only be experienced, not described”. And hopefully with this project, some people get to experience Hujar’s unique work.
