Art of the AIDS crisis typically sought to make a sociopolitical statement, stress the medical impact of the disease, or express feelings of longing and loss. The ideologies were present in conceptions of art in the 1980s and are still pertinent to reception of art today as well.

The Archives of American Art’s oral history project on AIDS and visual arts captures the poignant and transformative stories of the visual arts community during the height of the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the deep interconnections between art, activism, and personal loss.

Feb 20, 2020 · Many remember the 1980s as a decade characterised by the HIV and AIDS epidemic – a fatal virus that wreaked havoc upon LGBTQ+ people and society at large. Shrouded with misconceptions that were often rooted in homophobia, little was understood about the virus from a medical point of view.

Jun 16, 2016 · The Archives of American Art’s oral history project is the first to secure comprehensive life histories of artists and colleagues who lived through the height of the epidemic, and who understand the impact that AIDS had on visual art in America.

Dec 26, 1990 · An infectious disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome took the lives of thousands of artists and entertainers, spurred others to respond with works addressing the epidemic, politicized art...

Sep 29, 2015 · The notion that the AIDS epidemic fundamentally changed American art is at the heart of the exhibition, which features work that spans three decades and ranges from overtly political art to pieces that are much more subtle and coded.

Dec 5, 2023 · Many artists in the 1980s and 1990s turned their art into activism to raise awareness of the emerging AIDS epidemic. These public health posters from around the world show how they creatively challenged a growing environment of fear and ignorance.

By the mid-1980s, as the AIDS epidemic became a full-on crisis, AIDS activists turned to art and graphic design to illustrate and punctuate their responses to the disease and the resulting social crises.

More than four decades have now passed since AIDS was first recognized in the American press. Landmark projects, such as Visual AIDS, have brought the artistic output of AIDS activists into the public eye.

Nov 19, 2020 · Haring eventually died from AIDS-related complications in 1990 at the age of 31. He seemingly carried out his desire to make art accessible to millions of people right to the very end.