New Book Explores Lives and Art of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek
Andrew Durbin, editor-in-chief of Frieze Magazine, has released a new dual biography titled The Wonderful World That Almost Was, detailing the thirty-year relationship and artistic collaboration between photographer Peter Hujar and sculptor Paul Thek. Both groundbreaking gay artists died from AIDS-related complications in the late 1980s. The book aims to reclaim their narratives from the tragedy of their deaths, focusing instead on their vibrant lives, creativity, and romance between 1954 and 1975. Durbin spent five years researching the project, interviewing surviving sources before they passed away, to counter the historical erasure of queer identities during the AIDS crisis. While Hujar’s work has recently surged in cultural prominence through film adaptations and book covers, Thek’s legacy has been slower to resurface due to the ephemeral nature of his large-scale installations. The article highlights the book’s role in literary recovery, presenting the artists not merely as tragic figures but as accomplished individuals who lived fully. Durbin discusses these themes during his book tour, starting in Berlin, emphasizing the enduring impact of their partnership on twentieth-century art.
Wire timeline
New Book Explores Lives and Art of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek
Andrew Durbin, editor-in-chief of Frieze Magazine, has released a new dual biography titled The Wonderful World That Almost Was, detailing the thirty-year relationship and artistic collaboration between photographer Peter Hujar and sculptor Paul Thek. Both groundbreaking gay artists died from AIDS-related complications in the late 1980s. The book aims to reclaim their narratives from the tragedy of their deaths, focusing instead on their vibrant lives, creativity, and romance between 1954 and 1975. Durbin spent five years researching the project, interviewing surviving sources before they passed away, to counter the historical erasure of queer identities during the AIDS crisis. While Hujar’s work has recently surged in cultural prominence through film adaptations and book covers, Thek’s legacy has been slower to resurface due to the ephemeral nature of his large-scale installations. The article highlights the book’s role in literary recovery, presenting the artists not merely as tragic figures but as accomplished individuals who lived fully. Durbin discusses these themes during his book tour, starting in Berlin, emphasizing the enduring impact of their partnership on twentieth-century art.
The Guardian