Hunter Reynolds
Hunter Reynolds | |
---|---|
Born | Hunter Wayne Reynolds July 30, 1959 Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. |
Died | June 12, 2022 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Alma mater | Otis College of Art and Design |
Occupation(s) | Visual artist, AIDS activist |
Known for | Performance art, protest |
Awards | Guggenheim fellow (2017) |
Hunter Wayne Reynolds (July 30, 1959–June 12, 2022)[1] was an American visual artist, and AIDS activist.[2] He was known for his performance art and protest, and he was an early member of the AIDS activism group ACT UP. In 1989, he co-founded ART + Positive.[1][3] Charles Sanchez of POZ wrote "His work is profound, beautiful, at times startling and always ferociously honest."[4]
Biography
Hunter Wayne Reynolds was born on July 30, 1959, in Rochester, Minnesota.[1] His parents were Danielle (née Dusseau) and Robert Reynolds.[1] Around 1966 his parents divorced and he moved to Florida, followed by a move to California.[1]
He attended Otis College of Art and Design (formerly Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design) and received a B.F.A. degree in 1984.[1] After graduation he moved to New York City and founded ART + Positive, an ACT UP affinity group which protested for AIDS.[1]
Around 1989 he was diagnosed with HIV.[1] After his diagnosis he created a drag persona "Patina du Prey", who wore full ball gowns.[5] It was through this persona he worked as a performance artist for many years.[1] In 2017, he was a Guggenheim fellow.[1]
Reynolds died of squamous cell carcinoma on June 12, 2022, in New York City, at the age of 62.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Green, Penelope (2022-07-03). "Hunter Reynolds, Artist Who Dressed Up AIDS, Dies at 62". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
- ^ "Legendary HIV Activist and Artist Hunter Reynolds has Died". www.hivplusmag.com. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ Durón, Maximilíano (June 15, 2022). "Hunter Reynolds, Pioneering Artist Known for Heart-Wrenching Works That Chronicled the Immense Loss Wrought by HIV/AIDS, Dies at 62".
- ^ Sanchez, Charles (May 16, 2022). "An Artful Life". POZ. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ "Hunter Reynolds on drag, gender, and resurrecting his alter ego". Artforum.com. November 19, 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
External links
- Oral history interview with Hunter Reynold, Archives of American Art