Illuminations
J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA
Organized by Greg Sandoval, Text by Larisa Grollemond
In this immersive artwork, Jordan Eagles considers the cultural and social legacy and impact of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s ban and restrictions (from 1983 to the present) on the donation of blood by gay and bisexual men. While the official policies were recently revised, they continue to prevent most gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men from being able to donate blood, a continuation of the stigmatizing policies established during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
Using the visual language of popular culture, Eagles creates panels for projections that layer blood donated by gay men who are on PrEP and from individuals who are HIV+ and undetectable with images of superheroes and villains from vintage comic books whose storylines mention blood donation, transfusion, or HIV/AIDS. This layering of past and present—the mass-produced comic book images that dramatize blood as lifesaving and potentially transformative, and the colors and textures of the vital organic material of the donated blood—creates an immersive space for reflection. The presence of the blood from gay men prevented from donating, even despite significant blood shortages, or due to their HIV+ status, powerfully recontextualizes the stories told in the comics, asking viewers to contemplate and engage with their own histories, and to consider the continuing impact of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQI+ equality.
-
American Carnage 6/14 (Illumination), 2018
Grayscale cover image of Action Comics #403 (1971), blood from a gay man on PrEP, plexiglass, UV resin, overhead projectorThe work from this series was inspired by the cover of Action Comics #403 (1971), Attack of the Micro-Murderer, a story in which Superman calls on the citizens of Metropolis to donate blood in an attempt to save the hero's life. One of the plot points involves a futuristic super-virus that has infected Superman. The coverimage features a lifeless Superman on a medical gurney, eyes closed and with tubes in his arms receiving blood. Superman, an iconic symbol of strength and masculinity, is depicted as vulnerable, as an infinite line of average citizens line up to donate blood. In 1971, when this comic was made, gay men could have donated blood to “save Superman” as this predates the AIDS crisis. But in 2018, when Eagles made this series, that was almost impossible due to the FDA’s policies.
HULK/AIDS (Illumination), 2018
Grayscale cover image of The Incredible Hulk, In The Shadow of AIDS (1994), blood from an individual who is HIV+ and undetectable, blood from a gay man on PrEP, plexiglass, UV resin, overhead projectorThe Incredible Hulk #420: In the Shadow of AIDS, released by Marvel Comics in 1994, deals with the fear and stigma of HIV/AIDS. One storyline focuses on the Hulk’s longtime friend Jim Wilson, an African American man dying of complications from AIDS, who begs him for a transfusion so his blood can give him super strength. From his hospital bed Jim pleads to the Hulk, “Blood transfusions aren’t illegal are they?” The Hulk doesn’t want to risk his gamma-radioactive blood mutating Jim into an uncontrollable monster filled with rage. After much despair, he chooses not to do so and therefore his friend dies.
HEMO-GOBLIN (Illumination), 2018
Grayscale image from The New Guardians #1 (1988), blood from an individual who is HIV+ and undetectable, blood from a gay man on PrEP, plexiglass, UV resin, overhead projectorDC’s short-lived series, The New Guardians, from 1988, was a failed attempt at addressing controversial social issues of the time. The first issue features a villain named Hemo-Goblin, a genetically engineered vampire with AIDS, created by South African white supremacists to attack, infect, and kill people of color and members of the superhero group. Extraño, a Peruvian magician and the first obviously gay character in DC comics, is bitten by Hemo-Goblin and in a later issue reveals that he is HIV-positive before his death.
Blood: Medieval/Modern
J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA
Curated by Larisa Grollemond
Blood has both fascinated and repelled generations of artists and viewers. Medieval manuscripts testify to a rich visual culture surrounding blood: devotional, medical, genealogical, and as evidence of violence. In examining the meanings of medieval blood, this exhibition extends to intersecting contemporary conversations—artists have used the potent visual connotations of blood to explore issues of feminism, HIV/AIDS, and the science of DNA. Medieval and modern approaches to the representation of blood offer instances of both connection and rupture across time.
Throughout the exhibition, works by contemporary artists who have used the potent visual connotations of blood, appear in dialogue with medieval examples. Works by Catherine Opie, Andres Serrano, Nan Goldin, Jordan Eagles, the art collective MSCHF with rapper Lil Nas X, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Ana Mendieta, and others are included.