Hunter Reynolds

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]

Hunter Reynolds
Born
Hunter Wayne Reynolds

July 30, 1959
Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2022
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materOtis College of Art and Design
Occupation(s)Visual artist, AIDS activist
Known forPerformance art, protest
AwardsGuggenheim fellow (2017)

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
  1. 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.
  2. "Legendary HIV Activist and Artist Hunter Reynolds has Died". www.hivplusmag.com. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  3. 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".
  4. Sanchez, Charles (May 16, 2022). "An Artful Life". POZ. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  5. "Hunter Reynolds on drag, gender, and resurrecting his alter ego". Artforum.com. November 19, 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.