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Kissing Doesn't Kill. Greed and Indifference Do.

Poster
1989 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Gran Fury, a collective of artists and designers dedicated to promoting AIDS/HIV awareness, produced many inventive and thought-provoking posters. AIDS activists had used the strategy of the 'Kiss-In' - large public demonstrations of affection by gay and straight people - to undermine complacency and conservative commentators alike. This 1989 advertisement, designed for display on public transport in New York City and San Francisco, ridicules small-mindedness as well as reminding the authorities of their responsibilities in combating AIDS.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleKissing Doesn't Kill. Greed and Indifference Do. (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithograph
Brief description
Poster by Gran Fury, 'Kissing Doesn't Kill. Greed and Indifference Do', colour lithograph, United States, 1989.
Physical description
Landscape format poster printed in colours. The head and shoulders of three couples: a man and a woman; a man and a man; and a woman and a woman, of various races, kissing. Captioned above, in blue with title, and below in white lettering on a blue strip- reading: Corporate Greed, Government Inaction And Public Indifference Make AIDS A Political Crisis.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 293mm
  • Sheet width: 941mm
Production typeModel
Marks and inscriptions
  • Gran Fury (Maker's identification; lower right corner; offset lithography)
  • ACT UP (Distributor's identification; Left margin; offset lithography)
Credit line
Given by Shaun Cole. Reproduced courtesy of Gran Fury/Avram Finkelstein
Production
the production of this poster was sponsored by AmFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Reseach)

Reason For Production: Commission
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
Gran Fury, a collective of artists and designers dedicated to promoting AIDS/HIV awareness, produced many inventive and thought-provoking posters. AIDS activists had used the strategy of the 'Kiss-In' - large public demonstrations of affection by gay and straight people - to undermine complacency and conservative commentators alike. This 1989 advertisement, designed for display on public transport in New York City and San Francisco, ridicules small-mindedness as well as reminding the authorities of their responsibilities in combating AIDS.
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1993
  • This object features in 'Out on Display: A selection of LGBTQ-related objects on display in the V&A', a booklet created by the V&A's LGBTQ Working Group. First developed and distributed to coincide with the 2014 Pride in London Parade, the guide was then expanded for the Queer and Now Friday Late that took place in February 2015.
Collection
Accession number
E.472-1993

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Record createdMarch 7, 2003
Record URL
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