David Wojnarowicz: Arthur Rimbaud in New York

In 1978 and 1979, David Wojnarowicz took a series of photographs of a man wearing a paper mask bearing the visage of Arthur Rimbaud, the French poet equally known for his fervid verse and dramatic life. Rimbaud was the instantiation, and perhaps the inventor, of the idea of the young gay hustler of genius. This volume features an introductory essay by Antonio Sergio Bessa contextualizing the series within a foundation of other works across literature, photography and performance. Nicholas Martin explores Wojnarowicz's practice in the context of the rise of the punk movement in downtown Manhattan in the late 1970s. Craig Dworkin explores Rimbaud's years as a runaway youth in Paris during the Commune. Includes an interview with photographer Allen Frame. Features 150 color images.