One sweltering summer day recently, photographer Ethan James Green and I sought relief from the heat by heading to the Ukrainian Museum in New York to explore “Peter Hujar: Rialto.” In the peak of a New York City summer, when it seems the temperature is climbing at a frenzy you’re hoping your finances might match, the museum becomes a haven from those sizzling pavements. (It remains so: “Peter Hujar: Rialto” continues through early September.)
Certainly, the primary incentive to pay a visit is to admire Hujar’s astounding art. Various superlatives could be showered upon the Ukrainian-American photographer, who left us in 1987, and he’d merit each. A giant in the world of photography, Hujar could be candid and unadorned but also captured subjects with a gentle and intimate approach—a unique blend of warmth and an unwavering look into humanity.
Hujar earned renown for portraying LGBTQIA+ icons and symbolism, from Candy Darling on Her Death Bed, 1973 to Christopher Street Pier #2 (Crossed Legs), 1976. “His work is something I truly admire, and I believe when it comes to photographers focusing on gay and queer themes, he stands out,” Green shared with me. “During his rise, Robert Mapplethorpe was also emerging—and while Mapplethorpe leaned into abstraction with his subjects, Hujar engaged with them in a raw, authentic manner. I favor that style—especially in portraiture.”
The genius of “Peter Hujar: Rialto,” however, lies in revealing some of Hujar’s work that is significantly lesser-known. The exhibit covers capture from 1955 to 1969—just over a decade but one in which Hujar documented the gradual axial tilt towards a progressive time. Whether in rural America, the eerie Capuchin catacombs of Palermo, amidst urban youth, or alongside future luminaries set to blaze the 1970s—Iggy Pop, Warhol star Jackie Curtis, and Loulou de la Falaise, a collaborator of Yves Saint Laurent, et al.
“Witnessing numerous photographs I haven’t encountered before,” Green remarked that day. “It’s easy to overlook he was a photographer active for a substantial span, producing so much work. When someone departs, certain pictures remain while others might fade—not due to their quality.”