NADA New York 2022

Leonardo Kaplan’s works have their basis in a series of public service announcements that were printed on the backs of the gay pulp erotica magazine “First Hand Experiences For Loving Men” during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The announcements were intended to encourage open and positive dialogue about HIV and AIDS, as well as defining acceptance for queerness in general. The enlarged scale humanizes the featured subjects, and heightens the physical affectation of these image objects, as well as their production value, materiality, and economy.