Title:

Love AIDS People

Creator:

Helmken, Charles Michael

Date:

1989

Description:

Created by graphic artist Charles Michael Helmken as part of an exhibition to alert the public to the global threat of AIDS in 1989, this poster uses a seventeenth-century painting of Saint Sebastian from the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The image shows Sebastian, who was condemned and persecuted by emperor Diocletian, being rescued by angels after he was fatally shot by Roman archers. By using a famous painting of religious significance, Helmken appropriates Sebastian the martyr, a traditional symbol of the persecution of Christians, as a symbol of suffering for people living with HIV/AIDS. This powerful piece appropriately reflects the emotionally charged subject of persecution and allows the viewer to relate to the experience. Implicitly addressing the negative stereotypes and prejudices against homosexuals and drug users that continued to stymie efforts to slow the spread of the epidemic, the image challenges the stigma and abuse faced by those living with HIV/AIDS.

Publisher:

Shoshin Society

Original Repository:

The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection

Rights:

Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.

Disclaimer:

The National Library of Medicine's Profiles in Science program has made every effort to secure proper permissions for posting items on the web site. In this instance, however, it has either not been possible to identify or contact the current copyright owner. If you have information regarding the copyright owner, please contact https://support.nlm.nih.gov.

Genre:

Posters
Slides (photographs)

Subject:

HIV and Public Health

Format:

Still Image

Extent:

1 pages

Language:

English

Legacy Source Citation:

Original Repository. History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection. 11611. Free Text. This image may also be accessed from the Images from the History of Medicine (IHM).. URL. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/ihm/. IHM Order Number. A025303

Legacy ID:

VCBBHF

NLM ID:

101584655X103

Profiles Collection:

Visual Culture and Health Posters

Shareable Link:

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X103

Story Section:

HIV/AIDS