Peter Hujar: The Photographer Who Whispered
Peter Hujar, a defining photographer of 1970s and early 1980s New York, is remembered for his uncompromising artistic integrity. Active in the same Lower Manhattan circles as Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe, Hujar never sought fame, once telling a friend, 'I would like people to talk about me in whispers.' He died of AIDS in 1987 at age 53. His refusal to conform to predefined life or work patterns earned him deep respect from established artists and intellectuals. Hujar belonged to a generation of margin-dwelling artists for whom art was a matter of truth, not market value.
Key facts
- Peter Hujar was a photographer symbol of 1970s and early 1980s New York.
- He moved in the same circles as Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe.
- Hujar died of AIDS in 1987 at age 53.
- He never sought fame, preferring to be spoken of in whispers.
- His attitude toward work and life earned him great respect from famous artists and intellectuals.
- He refused to live within predefined schemes.
- He belonged to a generation of artists living on the margins, away from the mainstream.
- For Hujar, art was about truth, not the market.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- The Peter Hujar Archive
- Artists Rights Society
Locations
- New York
- Lower Manhattan