Joe Jagos

PPOW PRESENTS DAVID WOJNAROWICZ AS BY JOSEPH JAGOS

PPOW Chelsea NY, NY

Gallery Web Page PPOW

Given the opportunity to perform and read some of David's writings stemmed from a combined effort between PPOW (David's Estate) and myself. During his most recent show at PPOW titled 'Spirituality Works' March 5th- April 9th 2011, I curated a night of readings done by myself along with assistance on covers of David's band '3 Teens Kill 4'. I formulated this in response to the National Portrait Gallery's censoring of 'A Fire in my Belly'. Below is PPOW's write up.

'The Collectors' influence on what the museum shows continues this process secretly with behind-the-scenes manipulations of curators and money. Jesse Helms, at the very least makes public his attacks on freedom; the collectors and museums responsible for censorship make theirs at elegant private parties or from the confines of their self created closets." -David Wojnarowicz 'Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration'

In response to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's censorship of an re-edited version of David Wojnarowicz' A Fire in My Belly, Joe Jagos has organized a one night event to highlight David's prophetic statements on the issues of censorship as well as Wojnarowicz's influence to younger artists in music, art and politics.

Part one will be Jagos reading three excerpts that highlight the focus of David's writings; Censorship, Separation, HIV, and Homophobia. Part two of the performance will have a group of five musicians performing an interpretation of the music of 3 Teens Kill 4, a band David was a member of. These performances will be accompanied by projections of clips from the films and video; A Fire in my Belly, ITSOFOMO, and Silence = Death.