The article explores the legacy of Peter Hujar through the lens of his biographer John Douglas Millar and friend Gary Schneider. As a pivotal figure in the 1970s-80s New York art scene, Hujar's photographs reflect the rich subcultural environment of the era, characterized by a blend of artists, performers, and radical thinkers. The upcoming retrospective "Eyes Open in the Dark" showcases Hujar's unique approach to portraiture, often capturing intimate and provocative moments, while also highlighting the importance of social interactions in fostering artistic communities that are now in jeopardy due to contemporary changes.
"Hujar's portraits of friends, lovers, and sometimes, as Schneider reveals, strangers he met on the street who 'turned him on,' are infused with a distinctive intimacy and tactile reciprocity."
"The dialogue that was happening was remarkable. And the fact that people could afford to be in bars together, that's how scenes build..."
"It feels like that is something that, at best, is in peril - and at worst, is already gone."
"Everyone thought he was their best friend,' says Gary Schneider of Peter Hujar."
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