Peter Hujar facts for kids

Peter Hujar (born October 11, 1934 – died November 26, 1987) was an American photographer. He is famous for his powerful black-and-white portraits. During his life, his work was not widely known. However, today he is seen as a very important American photographer from the late 20th century.

Peter Hujar's Early Life

Peter Hujar was born on October 11, 1934, in Trenton, New Jersey. He was raised by his Ukrainian grandparents on their farm. He spoke only Ukrainian until he started school.

He lived with his grandparents until his grandmother passed away in 1946. After that, he moved to New York City to live with his mother. In 1950, when Peter was 16, he left home and began living on his own.

Learning to Be a Photographer

Peter Hujar received his first camera in 1947. In 1953, he went to the School of Industrial Art. There, he showed a strong interest in photography.

He met a helpful teacher, the poet Daisy Aldan. She encouraged him to become an apprentice in commercial photography. This means he learned by working in studios that took photos for businesses.

By 1957, when he was 23, Peter was already taking photos that were considered very high quality. In 1967, he joined a special class for young photographers. It was taught by famous photographers Richard Avedon and Marvin Israel. In this class, he met other important artists like Alexey Brodovitch and Diane Arbus.

Peter Hujar's Art Career

In 1958, Peter Hujar traveled to Italy with artist Joseph Raffael. In 1963, Peter received his own special grant, called a Fulbright. He went back to Italy with Paul Thek. They explored and photographed the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo. These classic images were later featured in his 1975 book, Portraits in Life and Death.

In 1964, Hujar returned to America. He became a main assistant in the studio of commercial photographer Harold Krieger. Around this time, he met Andy Warhol. Peter posed for some of Warhol's short films called Screen Tests. He was also included in a film called The Thirteen Most Beautiful Boys.

In 1967, Peter Hujar left his job in commercial photography. He decided to focus mainly on his own art, even though it meant less money. He became an important artist who supported social justice movements. In 1969, he witnessed the Stonewall riots in the West Village. He also took a photo for the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) called "Come out!!". In 1973, he moved into a loft in the East Village. He lived there for the rest of his life.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he spent time in the art scene of downtown Manhattan. He took portraits of many artists and writers. These included performer Divine, and writers like Susan Sontag, William Burroughs, and Fran Lebowitz.

In 1975, Hujar published his book Portraits in Life and Death. It had an introduction written by Susan Sontag. At first, the book wasn't very popular. But over time, it became a classic in American photography. The rest of the 1970s was a very busy time for him.

In 1981, Hujar met the writer and artist David Wojnarowicz. Wojnarowicz became a close friend and student of Hujar. Peter Hujar helped Wojnarowicz become an important young artist. Another artist connected to Hujar was Robert Mapplethorpe.

Peter Hujar photographed many different things. He took pictures of city scenes, everyday objects, animals, old buildings, and ruins in Europe. His photos were mostly in black and white. People describe his photography as feeling very personal and showing deep feelings. He was very good at connecting with the people he photographed. One person he photographed said: "You must strip down all the nonsense until you get to the bone. That's what Peter wanted and that was his great, great talent and skill."

Hujar's portraits were simple. He almost never used props. The main focus of his work was always on the person he was photographing, not the background. His subjects usually sat or lay down for their pictures.

Later Life and Passing

In January 1987, Peter Hujar became very ill. He passed away 10 months later, on November 25, at the age of 53. His funeral was held at the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village. He was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

Peter Hujar left his belongings to his friend, writer Stephen Koch. The first major show of Hujar's work happened in 1994 at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Exhibitions

• 1974: Peter Hujar, Floating Foundation of Photography, New York City
• 1977: Peter Hujar, Catskill Center for Photography, Woodstock, New York
• 1982: Peter Hujar, Forum Stadtpark, Graz; Galerie Modern Art, Vienna, Austria
• 1982: Peter Hujar, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany Peter Hujar, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Switzerland
• 1988: The Photographs of Peter Hujar, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York
• 1994: Peter Hujar: A Retrospective, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Netherlands; traveled to Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
• 1995: Peter Hujar. A Charm in Life and Death, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany
• 2005: Peter Hujar, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York
• 2007: Peter Hujar, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
• 2017–2019: Peter Hujar: Speed of Life, Fundación Mapfre, Barcelona, Spain, 2017; traveled to Fotomuseum den Hague, Den Haag, The Netherlands, 2017; Morgan Library & Museum, New York City; Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH; Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris, 2019

Collections

Peter Hujar's work is kept in these art collections:

• Art Institute of Chicago
• Carnegie Museum of Art
• Fogg Museum, Harvard University
• J. Paul Getty Museum
• Morgan Library & Museum
• Museum of Modern Art
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
• Saint Louis Art Museum
• Tate, UK: 10 prints (as of May 2021)
• Walker Art Center
• Whitney Museum of American Art
• Yale University Art Gallery