Love AIDS People

Love AIDS People

Contributor(s):
Helmken, Charles Michael
The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection
Publication:
Shoshin Society, 1989
Language(s):
English
Format:
Still image
Subject(s):
HIV
Public Health
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Posters
Slides (photographs)
Abstract:
Created by graphic artist Charles Michael Helmken as part of an exhibition to alert the public to the global threat of AIDS in 1989, this poster uses a seventeenth-century painting of Saint Sebastian from the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The image shows Sebastian, who was condemned and persecuted by emperor Diocletian, being rescued by angels after he was fatally shot by Roman archers. By using a famous painting of religious significance, Helmken appropriates Sebastian the martyr, a traditional symbol of the persecution of Christians, as a symbol of suffering for people living with HIV/AIDS. This powerful piece appropriately reflects the emotionally charged subject of persecution and allows the viewer to relate to the experience. Implicitly addressing the negative stereotypes and prejudices against homosexuals and drug users that continued to stymie efforts to slow the spread of the epidemic, the image challenges the stigma and abuse faced by those living with HIV/AIDS.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
1 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584655X103 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
VCBBHF
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X103
Archival Collection:
Visual Culture and Health Posters (Profiles in Science)