Plywood Boxes Create an AIDS ‘Wall of Love’

It began as a crude assemblage of unfinished plywood panels, nailed together to form a line of five tall, rectangular boxes. But as people adorned it with cards, snapshots and drawings, the structure became a personal memorial to Southern Californians who have died of AIDS.

The memorial, called the “Wall of Love,” was unveiled Sunday at Griffith Park.

Intended to provide a means for people to express grief for friends who have died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the structure is being donated to the city of West Hollywood for public display and additional decoration.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Karen Ocomb, who coordinated the “Wall of Love” project. “We’re going to continue to invite people to come up and put letters and mementos on the wall. For those people who have no outlet for their grief, they can come to this wall and be in an environment of support and love.”

The memorial was commissioned in conjunction with Cycle Challenge ‘88, a bicycle ride that attracted 429 cyclists who raised $50,000 for 17 Southern California AIDS groups.

After the ride, cyclists and visitors gathered to view the memorial at Griffith Park, with a few stopping to attach a photo or write a brief eulogy in crayon or felt-tipped marker.

One was Lonny Soini, who taped a rose to the plywood in memory of his lover who died last year as a result of AIDS.

“I’ve been holding back (my grief) because I didn’t want to believe it was real,” said Soini, who has also lost two friends to the disease in the last year. “This is the first time I’ve expressed how much this means to me. I’m real glad I have a chance to show that. It gives me a real peace and freedom letting go.”

Artists David Davis and Nancy Nye said they constructed the memorial with unfinished plywood to encourage people to write and paste mementoes on it.

“They’re up there with tape and glue and construction paper,” Nye said of the memorial decorators. “And there’s something very innocent about that.”

The five upright rectangles that comprise the memorial can be seen as individual people, with blue slats leaning between the boxes representing the bonds between people, Davis said. But viewed differently, he said, the pieces of the memorial present a more solemn image.

‘This Is About Death’

“They’re pine boxes, standing on end,” he said. “We have to face that. This is about death.”

The memorial was unveiled by a group of celebrities, including actress Meg Tilly.

“There are plenty of real good causes around and I’m always being approached about things,” Tilly said .”I think it’s just because I have friends who have AIDS . . . it’s become more important to me. This is just something that’s hit my life very hard.”