The simple composition of this black-and-white photograph, its square format and bare setting are characteristic of the work of Peter Hujar, who started out as a fashion photographer. The classic, formal framework gave him the freedom to concentrate on his subjects. This photograph is a portrait of the famous drag queen Divine (Harris Glen Milstead), reclining, not wearing his costume and with much of his make-up removed. ‘Divine’ is one in a series of portraits of Hujar’s closest friends, which he made in 1974 and 1975. He published these pictures, together with photographs he had previously taken of Sicilian catacombs, in ‘Portraits in Life and Death’ (1976), the only book of his work published during his lifetime. Hujar was part of the vibrant New York art scene of the 1970s and 80s. From the perspective of an insider, he photographed his circle of friends, mainly drag queens and people with alternative lifestyles. His approach to photography inspired other artists, including Nan Goldin, who knew and admired Hujar for his uncompromising attitude. ‘Portraits in Life and Death’ is clearly related to this art scene, which was devastated by the impact of AIDS. Hujar himself died of the disease in 1987.

Text: Stedelijk Museum