Andrew Durbin's Dual Biography of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek

Andrew Durbin has published a new biography examining the intertwined lives of artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek. The book explores themes of queer sainthood, desire, and self-dramatization, but the review criticizes it for losing sight of the artists' urgency. Hujar, who died in 1987, is known for his silver-toned photographs of figures like Divine, John Waters, Susan Sontag, and David Wojnarowicz. One iconic image shows Wojnarowicz with his mouth sewn shut in protest against Reagan's AIDS policies, captioned "Silence = Death." Thek, a sculptor, is noted for his "Technological Reliquaries" and other works. Durbin's narrative reportedly prioritizes the artists' egos over their political and emotional stakes.