ART : ‘Ordinary’ Portraits in Courage
After wandering for several minutes through the “Be Here for the Cure” exhibit in Costa Mesa, Janie Hertz found herself thinking one thing as she looked at Annie Leibovitz’s photos and they kept looking back.
“I know it’s a bit stupid for me to say this, but they all appear so ordinary ,” the 22-year-old UC Irvine student said. “By now, (because of AIDS awareness) I should realize that, and I do, but they really just seem like people I might know.”
Hertz’s reaction is what the organizers of “Be Here for the Cure” are hoping for. The traveling exhibit, which was launched by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation as a public-service campaign in early 1992 and is currently at the BankAmerica Gallery through Dec. 23, features 13 black-and-white photographs of people with HIV that Leibovitz took during a two-day shoot in San Francisco.
In addition to the portraits, there are large posters of eight of the photographs with personal messages from the subjects scrawled across them. The foundation plans to display the posters in public places throughout San Francisco and other cities.
“The images Leibovitz created are portraits of courage,” the foundation declares in a statement near the gallery’s entrance. “They depict women, men and a child who are living with HIV on their own terms. The photos, with their personal inscriptions, bring the diverse voices of these individuals to life.
“Together, they are role models for those facing HIV, while individually their eloquence speaks volumes about the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all of us.”
Karen Robertson, another UCI student who joined Hertz, said she was struck by how natural and at ease Leibovitz’s subjects appeared. Although Leibovitz, a veteran of works seen in Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazines, is primarily known for her oddly revealing, often sardonic portraits of celebrities, the “Be Here for the Cure” shots are simple and compassionate, a fact Robertson appreciated.
“There’s not a lot of drama here, but that’s good because (the photos) don’t try to make (an intentionally) big deal about these people,” said Robertson, 21. “I think it would have been a mistake (if Leibovitz) tried to pull our heartstrings too much.”
She added that the posters were especially affecting. In the one featuring Joey Benko, a feisty-looking kid who appears to be no more than 8 or 9, the youthful scrawl delivers a defiant message: “I’m a survivor of AIDS! And I don’t intend to give up the fight.”
Then there’s Sean Sasser, with his earrings and a testament to the soul-searching that came after he learned he was infected. “Testing HIV-positive was a wake-up call for me,” Sasser explains. “Today, I have a clearer idea of who I am and what I want from life. I think everything will be OK. I have no plans of disappearing soon.”
Another poster features Melissa Marsh, a pretty young woman with intelligent eyes. “I am more than HIV-positive,” she writes. “I love to paint, go disco-dancing, play pool and hang out with my friends.”
Hertz gazed at the poster and nodded, “I like this one. What she says, I mean, that sounds like something I might say.”
The project was clearly a labor of love for Leibovitz, who reportedly earns up to $50,000 a day for her photo sessions. When asked by the AIDS Foundation to volunteer, Leibovitz said the answer was easy.
“I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” she recalled. “I felt I must offer my services to help educate people about HIV. We all must do whatever we can.”
* What: “Be Here for the Cure,” photographs by Annie Leibovitz.
* When: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Dec. 23.
* Where: The BankAmerica Gallery, Department 4055, South Coast Metro Center, 555 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa.
* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway to Bristol Street and head north to Anton, then head east.
* Wherewithal: Free.
* Where to call: (714) 433-6000.
