Insider Focus: Cynthia Carr on David Wojnarowicz

Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, 10003

Insider Series members in the Curate Your Own Program

David Wojnarowicz (1954–1992) came to prominence in the East Village art world of the 1980s, actively embracing all media and forging an expansive range of work both fiercely political and highly personal. First displayed in raw storefront galleries, his work achieved national prominence at the same moment that the AIDS epidemic was cutting down a generation of artists, himself included. Wojnarowicz’ s work will the subject of an upcoming retrospective exhibition to be presented at the Whitney, in fall/winter 2016, during the Museum’s inaugural year in its new home.

During this special event Cynthia Carr, author of the acclaimed biography Fire in the Belly: The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz (2012), will share archival images as well as reproductions of Wojnarowicz’s art work to introduce his career, spotlighting his contributions to the artistic life of downtown Manhattan, the evolution of his activism and the political messages embedded in his art, and his friendship with photographer Peter Hujar.

Cynthia Carr was a columnist and arts reporter for the Village Voice from 1984 to 2003. Writing under the byline C. Carr, she specialized in experimental and cutting-edge art, especially performance art. Some of these pieces are now collected in On Edge: Performance at the End of the Twentieth Century. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Artforum, Bookforum, Modern Painters, the Drama Review, and other publications. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2007. 

Insider Series members are invited to select one of the following sessions:

Option 1
March 23, 7:30 pm*

Option 2
February 4, 7:30 pm

*The original session on January 26 was rescheduled due to snow.

RSVP required. Invitations will be sent to Insider Series members. To upgrade, please call (212) 570-3641. Please note: this event takes place at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, 10003.