Original 1987 ACT UP Donald Moffet He Kills Me Reagan AIDS Crisis Protest Poster

Description: About this work: A well-preserved original printing of Donald Moffet’s iconic “He Kills Me” poster. As the AIDS epidemic spread, activists criticized the Reagan administration for ineffectively responding to the disease. In particular, they were concerned that the administration was underfunding AIDS research and obstructing prevention efforts by opposing sex education. These concerns were exacerbated by Reagan's public silence about the disease until 1987, when he made his first speech on the subject. Later that year, Reagan yielded to pressure from Congress and organized the Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic. However, scientists and AIDS activists were skeptical of the recommendations the commission's appointed members would provide to the President due to their lack of expertise. For the third in a series of demonstrations that ACT UP organized against the commission, Donald Moffett made this poster of Reagan, with words that concisely communicated the group's thoughts about the President's effect on AIDS patients. Described by the artist, Donald Moffet, “this is the He Kills Me poster, as it’s referred to, which has a picture of Ronald Reagan with a particular smirk on his face. It’s two very, very discrete visuals. On the left is a fluorescent orange and black shooting target, and on the right is a black and white image of Reagan with the copy line, “he kills me.” You know, it was about Reagan’s lack of concern, lack of engagement. AIDS came on a little slow because the information was so slow, so you kept feeling this creep into a new world, really. I had a lot of desperation, fury. But I recall it being a struggle to figure out what to do with what was f***ing with my mind. I was probably working on it in ‘86. At this point, I was involved in a graphic design studio, and I wasn’t very happy, s**t was going down. It was right about the same time where people were just dying, on the one hand, and those that weren’t felt incredibly frustrated and angry. There was this moment where A led to B, and in my after hours, I started making He Kills Me and some street activism. My good friend Michael Moran and I, we pasted it at night. That was the means of distribution until it was given to ACT UP where then it became a protest tool. ACT UP stands for the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. It was an explosive street movement, basically to protest the lack of information, response, drugs, progress on a deadly disease that was extremely targeted at that point. This attitude right here that was formed in ACT UP and Gran Fury and under those circumstances has reappeared. And it’s not necessarily that activism is still there in every waking moment of my day, but it’s about this dilemma of art and where we are as people.” This is among the finest examples of the original printing to survive. Literature: Aids Demo Graphics p. 46; Donald Moffett: The Extravagant Vein pp. 24, 159, 177 (color, installation photos, not this edition), 176 (color) Size: 23.5 inches tall by 37.5 inches wide (sheet) Provenance: Private collection, NY; Acquired from the above Condition: Very good overall condition. Very minor surface imperfections, some inherent to the production method. Some minor wear to corners and edges. Faint glue residue verso upper corners. An excellent example. This work will be carefully packed and shipped with insurance and signature confirmation. Free local pick up is also available. International buyers - please note I cannot lower the declared value of the package for customs. I frequently receive messages from people after I sell an item, asking if it is definitely gone. If something catches your eye, don't hesitate to inquire before it is sold! Feel free to ask any questions.

Price: 6000 USD

Location: Morrisville, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-11-14T01:06:07.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD