A poignant retrospective of Peter Hujar’s photography at Raven Row, revealing a master portraitist whose images convey timeless humanism and intimacy.
A Master of Portraiture: Peter Hujar‘s Liberation and Grief
Peter Hujar was a largely forgotten figure in the art world, yet he produced some of the finest portraits in the latter half of the 20th century. His photographs are characterized by their carefully composed and lovingly framed compositions, which convey a timeless humanism.
Peter Hujar was a renowned American photographer born on April 29, 1942.
He is best known for his portraits of artists, musicians, and LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1970s and 1980s.
Hujar's work often explored themes of identity, mortality, and the human condition.
His photographs were characterized by their intimacy, candor, and technical mastery.
Hujar passed away on November 25, 1987, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important American photographers of his generation.
A Life of Contrasts
Hujar‘s life was marked by contrasts. On one hand, he was known to be fiercely angry, harboring a temper that cost him friends and commissions in the art world. Yet, his photographs speak of a clear time and place – downtown New York in the 1970s and 80s – but they also embody a sense of tender humanity.
Portraits of Identity
Hujar‘s portraits are defined by their intimacy and dignity. He photographed celebrities, but also ordinary people, animals, and landscapes, all given equal prominence. His photographs of New York City skyscrapers are haunting in their emptiness, as if the city is populated only by steel, not people.
A Post-Stonewall World
Hujar‘s work was deeply rooted in the socio-political environment of 1970s New York, a post-Stonewall city struggling with sexual emancipation and the AIDS crisis. His images represent the move away from freedom to meditations on loss. ‘One of his photographs was reproduced as a poster for the Gay Liberation Front in 1970,’ while another series of Hudson River images were included in the group show ‘Witness: Against our Vanishing’ in 1989.
A Reflective Sadness
Hujar‘s Hudson River images are among the most beautiful in the exhibition. Posthumously included, they take on a reflective sadness, inviting viewers to mourn and reflect. Despite their somber tone, these images are also infused with a sense of longing.
The Faces of Hujar‘s Friends and Lovers
Hujar‘s portraits of his friends and lovers are perhaps the most intriguing and lasting images in the exhibition. They include semi-nude self-portraits and photographs of dancers, all rendered beautiful through Hujar‘s lens. These images balance formal simplicity with subjective intrigue, echoing the work of ‘Avedon’ but distinct in their marriage of social commentary and homoerotic longing.
A Legacy of Grief
Peter Hujar died on Thanksgiving in 1987, just three days after his death, which adds to the sadness of the exhibition. His legacy is one of liberation and grief, as if each image is tinged with tragedy waiting around the corner. Yet, despite this, the images are irresistible, inviting contemplation and repeated viewings.
A Must-See Exhibition
‘Peter Hujar – Eyes Open in the Dark’ at London’s Raven Row gallery is a must-see exhibition. It showcases Hujar‘s entire body of work, curated by ‘John Douglas Millar,’ ‘Gary Schneider,’ and ‘Alex Sainsbury.’ The exhibition is one of London’s finest in recent years, offering a unique glimpse into the life and work of this master portraitist.
‘Peter Hujar – Eyes Open in the Dark’ is on display at London’s Raven Row gallery through April 6, 2025.
- observer.com | Don’t Miss: Peter Hujar’s Liberation and Grief at Raven Row
