Page 12 - Faces of AIDS: 102 Portraits
P. 12
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Jim Wigler
Faces of AIDS is an exhibit of 102 shops and other small businesses
people infected with the AIDS virus in allowed me to hang various portraits
the mid-1980s in the San Francisco in their venues. Those generous trial
Bay Area. To humanize the epidemic runs helped me compose the look, the
I took a close-up portrait of each series order, and the emotional feel of
person smiling, looking wonderful, and the growing exhibit through community
awesomely human. My main purpose feedback, support, and donations.
was to ameliorate the public’s fear of
contagion and to help neighbors who Three years after my beginning the
were suffering. project in 1983, Faces of AIDS opened
at the San Mateo Country Fair, and
I told my idea to my friend Tom went on to exhibits at Grace Cathedral
Nolan, the President of the Board and Moscone Center—finally touring
of Supervisors in San Mateo, and around the country with the Names
he pledged to get backing from the Project Quilt. For thirty years, I have
County of San Mateo, just south of San long wanted to see these portraits
Francisco. I enlisted San Francisco of these beautiful people gathered
businesses to help with the project. together in a photography book
Adolph Gasser, owner of Gasser picturing who we were at the beginning
Photography, personally donated of the epidemic. I am grateful to my
photo supplies and 16x20 photo paper. Higher Power for allowing me to make
Rand Castile, Director of the Asian a difference with my Faces of AIDS
Art Museum, volunteered his spare exhibit, and the thousands of photo
bedroom for framing the prints. While I shoots I’ve done with some of the most
continued my work-in-progress filming awesome people anyone could ever
so many wonderful people, coffee hope to meet.
—Jim Wigler
