Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism and keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today. This article is part of Hyperallergic ’ s 2024 Pride Month series , featuring interviews with art-world queer and trans elders throughout June.
In 1989, photographer Lola Flash sat on the other side of the lens for what would become one of the decade’s most iconic images. Flash, who uses she/they pronouns, kisses fellow artist Julie Tolentino in a poster of three queer couples and the phrase “ Kissing Doesn’t Kill: Greed and Indifference Do ,” a campaign launched by AIDS artist-activist collective Gran Fury. The image was distributed in a mass-mailing and plastered on buses and billboards.
Flash was already deeply involved in the AIDS activism movement through her work with ACT UP, and while the photographer has served as a pillar in their community since the 1980’s, they’ve only gained acceptance into the museum and gallery world in recent years. This was intentional, they told Hyperallergic over the phone. Below is a condensed version of a conversation that delved into the parental joy of becoming a mentor, finding love, and dawning a space helmet to think about ancestors.
Hyperallergic: Can you speak about your entrance into the New York City art world? Did you feel accepted there, and how.