Art. A wonderful concept to explore and admire. One can find one’s eyes glued to a piece or drift through an entire exhibit in hours. Vivid images, pretty sculptures, masterpieces perfected to perfection- what’s not to love about art? Be mindful- sometimes what may be expected upon entering the museum doors may not be all that satisfies the eye, but rather takes on hidden meanings that compensate much more for what is given physically. In this case, art seeks to educate, and influence the audience so that change can be made.

      The Bronx Museum of the Arts, situated on Grand Concourse between East 165th and 166th streets, offers a contemporary scope of a wide range of works. Even prior to entering its doors, the theme of AIDS that the museum touches on can already be found within the truck itself parked in front of the place. Scrawled all over with Keith Haring’s signature designs of vibrant shades and color, the large vehicle is especially hard to miss. The organization behind the truck is committed to testing individuals to determine whether or not they have HIV/AIDS. It promotes public awareness of this disease by reaching out to a community and taking action. This small yet important step towards progress is demonstrated by the legacy of AIDS that the museum explores upon entering those doors.

       Spacious and providing an accommodating atmosphere, the setting is accompanied by lower and upper landings filled with paintings and occasional 3-D depictions. Nearly every corner features oil canvases. Graphic photography and representational works are showcased in corners of each landing as well. In a dim room of its own (resembling a mini-theater), a documentary is played. This footage, Tongues Untied by Riggs, blends the artist’s personal narrative with fictional storytelling in order to examine what it means to be both black and gay in the late 1980s. In one particular scene, many African-American and a handful of Hispanic men, join together in an area of the streets. Seldom speaking, they combine gestures and body movements instead, to express their autonomy and who they were. Honesty and even specks of humor are centered visually to stimulate these men’s intentions that they seek- to confront the nation’s homophobia, racism, and challenge mainstream conventions that bind society. (As put in Riggs’s words, the maker of the film), the film aims at “shattering the nation’s brutalizing silence on matters of sexual and racial difference.” The population of gay minorities come together as one to set aside these barriers that prevented them from being considered equal, showing that difference is nothing frightening- and in fact is natural and does not make them any less human. And as sex culture shifts, so does our knowledge of the presence of AIDS.

       The effects of AIDS are horrific, not to mention tragic. Such impacts are abstractly demonstrated in both Blurry Self Portrait (1987) by Arch Connelly and Unveiling of Modern Chastity (1981) by Izhar Patkin. The first one, respectively, is characterized by glitter and sequins that give off a little glitz and shine, but its meaning is far from harmless. It portrays the loss of vision due to an infection that causes blindness for people with Auto Immune Deficiency (AIDS). This abstraction is reflected in the oval-shaped piece in its ambiguous imagery shaped by the stones, with no definite shape of anything. It presents itself as almost sort of an illusion. Nevertheless, the artist’s sense of humor isn’t all lost, as if to say the physical effects do not overwhelm the inner spirit. On the other hand, Unveiling of Modern Chastity is as grim-looking as the message it conveys. Yellow paint with splotchy lesions on its surface, the stretched linen canvas is covered with rubber paste, fake wounds, and printing ink. The piece was actually created a year before the disease was officially announced. A group of men with deep purple skin lesions influenced his work here, which reflects the tremendous shift in sex culture. Continuing on into the 21st century, sex culture breaks away from the norm in its relationships between genders and the risks that come with it as a result of contact. Patkin places heavy emphasis on texture in order to break minimalism by expressing that such pain in a socially significant context cannot be explained by simplistic abstraction. (Most abstract works are commonly portrayed with little detail as possible, but in this case minimalism cannot fully describe the theme’s complexity).

      One piece that notably stands out is an acrylic painting titled Spiritual and Needy (1991-1992), done by Lari Pittman. Comprised mainly of tertiary colors (red, green, and blue) along with white, the painting is embodied with bold, ornate designs and symbols. Two connected hearts hang from the top with white flowery, jewelry-like patterns streaming against a dark blue background. Below is a fireplace with “69,” a thermometer sticking out, and towards the bottom, one can make out the caption “f-me!” scrawled across a butt cheek. Along the borders some human skin shows. The work is very detailed and complex. Everything that makes up the space links a connection between spirit and physical body. It rejects social taboos that desexualize gay men- for instance, feminine notions imposed on them that supposedly shape their identities. In addition, it points out that sexual desire between the body and soul is inevitable which can be seen in this work. Because of its complexity and abundance in texture and in design, it truly jumps out among the others at the exhibit.

       Art communicates perspectives that give glimpses into higher knowledge followed by interpretations. In this case, the museum raises awareness- that AIDS still exists and is very fatal, so that people can be educated and take action to control the disease from spreading. Moreover, the exhibition communicates what it means to be gay in America and live with AIDS. It is important for the next generation to transform this insight into change that can progress. Because ultimately, it shows that we care.

Taken of a significant piece in the museum. Photo credits by Stephanie Wan.