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Nude Blowing Spit Bubble

A work made of gelatin silver print.
© The Peter Hujar Archive.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

1980

Artist:

Peter Hujar
American, 1934–1987

About this artwork

Peter Hujar was a central figure in New York City’s East Village art scene during the 1970s and 1980s. He became best known for portraits of drag queens and cultural personalities like filmmaker John Waters and artist David Wojnarowicz. Like many of his portraits, this photograph has a restrained erotic charge. Hujar cultivated a personal connection with his sitters, often based on sexual attraction, that emphasized their vulnerability. He isolated his subject in a neutral space, to encourage uninhibited contemplation and easy nakedness, and maintained constant conversation, to help sitters relax and perform as themselves for the camera. As fellow artist Nan Goldin recalled, “He captured people at their most quiet and introspective, externalizing their internal selves, achieving that rare balance of exposing the beauty of the flesh while making visible the spirit.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Peter Hujar

Title

Nude Blowing Spit Bubble

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1980

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 37.4 × 37.5 cm (14 3/4 × 14 13/16 in.); Paper: 50.3 × 40.3 cm (19 13/16 × 15 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Photography Associates Fund

Reference Number

2009.115

Copyright

© The Peter Hujar Archive.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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