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AIDS...tired of the routine?

Poster
1994 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

fierce pussy is a collective of queer women artists which started in New York City in 1991. The founders were all deeply involved in AIDS activism and brought lesbian identity and visibility to the fore in a time of frantic mobilisation around LGBTIQ+ health in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. With low or no budget, in the group's own words: 'the collective responded to the urgency of those years, using readily available resources: old typewriters, found photographs, our own baby pictures, and the printing supplies and equipment accessible in our day jobs. fierce pussy projects included wheat pasting posters on the street, renaming New York City streets after prominent lesbian heroines, re-designing the restroom at the LGBT community center, printing and distributing stickers and t-shirts, a greeting card campaign, a video PSA and more recently, various installations and exhibitions in galleries and museums'. Four of the original core members (Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka) continue to work together.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAIDS...tired of the routine? (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Photocopied poster
Brief description
Colour photocopy flyposter by the 'fierce pussy' collective. New York City, 1994.
Physical description
Photocopy flyposter in black and red with the words: 'Start an IV. Hold a hand. Pick out a coffin. Bury your best friend. AIDS...tired of the routine? Be enraged. Become explosive.'. Lettered with the name of the group at the bottom of the sheet.
Dimensions
  • Height: 43.3cm
  • Width: 28.1cm
Credit line
Given by Joy Episalla
Object history
This poster was exhibited in 1996 in the V&A display entitled 'Graphic Responses to AIDS'.
Historical context
This poster was created for use on the side of the fierce pussy truck, used as a mobile billboard and driven around New York in 1994 for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969.
Subjects depicted
Summary
fierce pussy is a collective of queer women artists which started in New York City in 1991. The founders were all deeply involved in AIDS activism and brought lesbian identity and visibility to the fore in a time of frantic mobilisation around LGBTIQ+ health in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. With low or no budget, in the group's own words: 'the collective responded to the urgency of those years, using readily available resources: old typewriters, found photographs, our own baby pictures, and the printing supplies and equipment accessible in our day jobs. fierce pussy projects included wheat pasting posters on the street, renaming New York City streets after prominent lesbian heroines, re-designing the restroom at the LGBT community center, printing and distributing stickers and t-shirts, a greeting card campaign, a video PSA and more recently, various installations and exhibitions in galleries and museums'. Four of the original core members (Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka) continue to work together.
Collection
Accession number
E.911-2022

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Record createdOctober 24, 2022
Record URL
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