David Wojnarowicz

What interests me about David Wojnarowicz’s photographs is not so much the pornographic nature of much of his work, but the use of photo-montage and allegory for political and artistic aims. The fuzziness of many of his pictures recalls the imagery from surveillance cameras and black and white monitors in a a pre-digital TV age. The overlapping imagery of interior and exterior, public and private in the Sex series create a disturbing and paranoid tone: private moments are observed. What power observes them? Although my fascination is with the positive and negative imagery and formal aspects of the work, I cannot help but comment on the works political power. This work was made in the age of sexual repression and marginalization of homosexuality.

"Tornado," (from the Sex series) 1988
Black and white photograph

"House," (from the Sex series) 1988
Black and white photograph

Untitled, Sex Series (for Marion Scemama)1988-89.

Sex series (trees)," 1988-89

Online Sources

Felix Guttari on David Wojnarowicz: http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/DavidW/DW_Gutari.html

Donald Kusbit on David Wojnarowicz http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/DavidW/DW_Kuspit.html

Imagination and Cultural Criticism in the Work of David Wojnarowicz: http://www.springerlink.com/content/l300025462535h54/