Happy 4th of July – postcards from another NYC heatwave
It’s hot, it’s summer, it’s New York City…. I spent the evening cooling off at Coney Island. No flags, just the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Including a bona fide Saint Christopher of the boardwalk.
Graduation: International High School at Prospect Park
It’s graduation season in New York. A wonderful shoot this week at an inspiring, new high school for “English Language Scholars” – i.e. recent immigrants who are not fluent in English when they enroll in the school – reminded me of these images from a different graduation a couple of years ago.
The Graying of AIDS – an update on new plans and milestones
The first quarter of 2012 was largely dedicated to pushing the Graying of AIDS project forward on several fronts, refining what is becoming a shared multi-year endeavor, with the core team consisting of public health project partner Naomi Schegloff and myself. Several new developments are shaping how we will spend the next few months, growing this campaign beyond anything I could have envisioned when I received the initial support from the Open Society Foundations to create a multi-platform outreach and education campaign for the original Time Magazine reportage.
Wonderful new developments in the evolution of our project involve being granted support from two exemplary independent documentary film organizations: Working Films and Chicken & Egg Pictures.
In Memoriam: Sue and Richard
Since I first began working on The Graying of AIDS in 2006, a number of the extraordinary people profiled in this body of work have died from a variety of AIDS- and/or aging-related illnesses. I am deeply saddened to report the loss of two more cherished project participants: Sue Saunders (age 78) and Richard Kearns (age 60).
Sue Saunders, 1933 – 2012
In my last conversation with Sue, she expressed her frustration with not being able to go out to educate any longer – that those years of her life had irrevocably passed. I had called to tell her about the latest publication that wanted to use her quotes and images, and reminded her that that her words and message were continuing to resonate with all the people who watched her Graying of AIDS video portrait. View the rest of this entry »
Remembering Dr. Robert Franke
Thinking of the wonderful Bob Franke, who passed away over the holidays at the age of 78. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to interview this truly memorable and inspiring man about his fight against HIV discrimination in long term care.
Here’s to 2012 – Welcome!
A selection of images from the Despers steel drum yard in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. View the rest of this entry »
The Southern Poverty Law Center: “ex-Gay” conversion therapy exposed
SPLC is launching a campaign to draw attention to the damage done – mostly to young people – by so-called pray the gay away “therapy” approaches that are supported by various religious denominations in this country. As part of this media effort, I produced a series of portraits of Chaim Levin, an orthodox Jewish young man who has been an outspoken opponent of “reparative therapy” and sexual abuse in his religious enclave of Brooklyn.
Here’s a video (produced separately by TruthWinsOut.org) of Chaim and another young man recounting their experiences with Jonah, a – highly UN-orthodox – approach to attempting to cure Jewish youth of their same-sex attractions. View the rest of this entry »
The Graying of AIDS on World AIDS Day – new multimedia portraits, Time.com’s LightBox photo blog, and reaching HIV health care providers
For World AIDS Day, on December 1st, there’s lots of new material on the Graying of AIDS website: new video portraits on Bill, Robert and Sue; a new interview with Anna; a brand new blog on Artists Responding to Aging and to HIV/AIDS; and a first of many special “featurettes ” – themed, issue-driven resource guides and learning tools, this one on institutional HIV discrimination.
A very analog sidewalk memorial to Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs’ death from cancer at the age of 56 left people grappling with his legacy – undoubtedly he has to be credited for shaping the culture we live in like few others. As someone working in the visual medium I can appreciate how his life’s work of technical innovations enabled individuals to take creative control in the digital space. View the rest of this entry »
Final Weekend – Governors Island Art Fair & Graying of AIDS installation
Sunday, 9/25 is the official Finissage, or closing day, of the 4th annual Governors Island Art Fair.
The Graying of AIDS project was thrilled to present our work as part of this month-long group exhibition, which is curated by 4heads, a New York-based arts group that transforms otherwise unused spaces into unique environments for the exhibition and performance of diverse artistic work. View the rest of this entry »