VIDEO: Meet the Fascinating Gay Man Who Created The Most Iconic HIV

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He didn’t realize that SILENCE=3DDEATH would become a rallying cry for the =
movement.

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The artist collective that created SILENCE=3DDEATH in
the 1980’s never intended for the image to be adopted by ACT UP. In fact, =
the artwork came to life as the result of regular pot luck dinners among a =
group of friends trying to deal with the onslaught of AIDS. That is only on=
e of a number of interesting revelations
in a new video interview with one of the men responsible for the image.

"SILENCE=3DDEATH was the result of six men who felt completely alone,&=
quot; said Avram Finkelstein, a=
New York artist who participated in the group and went
on to create some of the most iconic HIV/AIDS messages of the era.

In an interview=
with blogger Mark
S. King (My Fabulous Disease), Avram provides a fascinating=
behind-the-scenes look at how the artwork was designed, including his pers=
onal notebook of initial sketches. Avram shares juicy details on topics ran=
ging from the extremely personal
political battles that fueled the artwork, the use of a gay porn image tha=
t led to a very interesting phone call from one of the models, and the impo=
rtance of "flash collectives" that use community input to create =
messaging. Along the way, Avram discusses
the intersection of art, social messaging, and activism. 

The art represented in this captivating interview b=
elongs to the ages, yet Avram makes it accessible and immediate. The video =
is highly recommended viewing for art lovers and HIV activists
alike.