Artist John Douglas’ recent work, ‘The ABCs of HIV’, exploring life with HIV in the antiretroviral age is sure to provoke some strong reactions. He speaks to Talkabout about his motivation and the early responses to the piece.
Talkabout: Can you start by telling me a little bit about the inspiration/motivation for this work? Did you intentionally set out to create this piece as a statement on HIV today or was it purely an expression of recent personal experiences, or perhaps a bit of both?
John: I suspect there’s a bit of personal therapy in this – as there is most of my art – but my main purpose was to create a piece that makes a universal statement about HIV today.
I wanted to create an artwork based on an Australian source that presented some of the negatives of being HIV positive today in the tradition of such strong and moving works as David McDiarmid’s ‘Plagueboy’ and ‘So Many Pills So Little Time Sweetie’ [1994].
I wanted to create an artwork that addressed the nature of contemporary life with HIV – that for many now, it is an ongoing, grinding chronic condition that doesn’t necessarily result in fast death – and the many more aspects of HIV faced now than were faced in the mid-1980s.
I think the need for art and social activism in this country is as strong now, perhaps stronger than it was in the goriest days of HIV/AIDS
Talkabout: In an era where we regularly see images celebrating the ‘positive’ aspects of living with HIV, it’s interesting that you chose to create an artwork that reminds us that there are still many challenges of living with HIV. Can you talk about this? Do you feel that HIV has been ‘glamourised’ or that we are overlooking the realities of modern living with HIV because of the comparative ‘success’ of antiretrovirals?
John: I think campaigns promoting the fun of putting a condom on a banana or using simpering muscle men are ludicrous and insulting; a far more compelling advertising message might be ‘putting on a condom feels disgusting, but not as disgusting as shitting yourself to death’. I think it is great that living with HIV has become closer to being a manageable condition than it ever has; no one wants to see a return to the premature deaths of so many we loved.
So, while acknowledging we’ve come a long way, I think it is also important to keep in mind that HIV is not all cheap housing and electricity subsidies. The reality is there are still struggles and efforts to be made – with health, prejudices and simple, day-to-day realities. I do think that we need some positive images, too! But yes, we certainly need balance – so much advertising by groups in the AIDS industry veers too far towards glamour and fairytales.
Talkabout: What is the primary medium and size of the artwork? Is there any significance in the individual panels and materials that you used?
John: The artwork is comprised of acrylic paint on 26 individual cardboard panels. In the pictured format, the work measures approximately 4 metres x 3 metres. In this format with the panels touching, it is a larger than normal work for me; the panels can be moved and the size and positions altered. This is significant as the nature of living with HIV looms large in a life in constant flux. I used acrylic paints as they dry to a flat plastic finish which is appropriate for the theme of the work.
Talkabout: You also used this artwork to create a multimedia piece [5] that you posted on YouTube. In this video slideshow, the individual panels appear long enough to confront the viewer with some of the realities of living with HIV today. The imperfections in the panels and the handwritten letters give the sense that this is a very personal piece, while the ambient soundtrack makes it quite haunting. Can you tell me a bit about your creative process and how the multimedia aspect evolved?
John: Like many of my artworks, the slideshow changed and evolved as I created it. I originally wanted to do a slow, epic work that would loop and thus be suitable for a gallery as a video installation. As I put it together, though, I decided that a slideshow would have more impact with a short time on each letter – so that each came as a figurative slap and the viewer would be left somewhat stunned as the whole piece is over in one and a half minutes, and that rather than being displayed in gallery, popular art sites and video sites like YouTube and Facebook would be far more effective venues.
To create the slideshow movie, I used the Movie Maker program – simple to use and perfect for a basic slideshow. The audio I created. Originally I had composed and recorded a fairly solid music track with some glaring sounds to startle, mixed with audio samples of everyday life. However, when I added this audio, I realised that an ambient audio track would better suit the theme of life with a chronic condition and that the startle effect would be best coming simply from the images and their timing.
It has been – is – very humbling to realise you’ve created an artwork that reaches people and gives voice to their experiences
Talkabout: Can you share your thoughts on the current state of HIV-related art or art/social activism in Australia? Is there still a need for the voices of HIV-positive artists?
John: In Australia, I think we’re in a bit of slump. Those who care are worn down by years of effort and from attending to health and personal needs. With every reduction in services and support for people with HIV, there is a pervasive sense of cynicism and ‘why bother’. I think the need for art and social activism in this country is as strong now, perhaps stronger than it was in the goriest days of HIV/AIDS.
I took part in an exhibition in January in New York with Yoko Ono and John Waters (among others) to raise money for HIV services and support there, and the level of interest gives me hope that apathy doesn’t reign supreme; that we can respark the fire of enthusiasm for social engagement and art and activism here in Australia.
Talkabout: You mentioned that you posted the artwork on some art sites and have had some interesting comments. Can you tell me about the response to the piece to date?
John: I have begun correspondence with a commercial artist friend of (film director) Derek Jarman over this very artwork and he has told me harrowing tales of prejudices he has faced in the UK both socially and professionally. Also, a daughter of a prominent HIV researcher in the USA has been telling me about her experiences, and many other people (both HIV positive or who have otherwise been affected by HIV) who I can’t really give too much away publicly or risk their privacy. It has been – is – very humbling to realise you’ve created an artwork that reaches people and gives voice to their experiences.
About John Douglas
John Douglas is an award-winning Australian multimedia artist. His expulsion from the Queensland College of Art in 1984 for being a “disruptive and disturbing influence” kick-started his career.
His exhibitions have received acclaim and caused controversy here and abroad. Solo shows include the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003 & 2005; an exhibit for the Sydney 2002 Gay Games Cultural Festival; and one-man exhibitions in Paris, Bangkok, Istanbul, Shanghai, Bali, Ethiopia, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau and Fort Lauderdale, USA.
John has also published fiction and non-fiction works and is a regular contributor for Talkabout; guest cartoonist for Last magazine and has been published in two US fiction anthologies.
See John’s work at http://johndouglasart.com/ [6] or www.youtube.com/user/tartansuitcase [7]