David Wojnarowicz
American, 1954–1992
Earth, 1987
Acrylic and cut-and-pasted paper on wood, two panels
Artist, writer, and activist Wojnarowicz first gained public attention in the early 1980s on the streets of downtown New York through his handmade posters and graffiti murals. One of four paintings in a series titled The Four Elements, Earth contains natural, mythic, and symbolic references to profit-driven land extraction, such as an excavator truck, coal, and a cowboy on a bull. This imagery is paired with personal and cultural emblems that recur throughout Wonarowicz's work: a ribcage, a derailed train, and a Native American icon emerging from roots and rubble.
