Silence = Death: Vote
| Date | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Paper (Left): 33 1/8 x 21 3/8 in. (84.1 x 54.3 cm) Paper (Right): 33 1/4 x 21 1/2 in. (84.5 x 54.6 cm) Mount (Left): 33 1/4 x 22 in. (84.5 x 55.9 cm) Mount (Right): 33 1/4 x 22 in. (84.5 x 55.9 cm) Overall: 33 1/4 x 44 x 1/4 in. (84.5 x 111.8 x 0.6 cm) |
| Print medium | Print-Lithograph |
Months before ACT UP was founded, six gay men formed together as the Silence = Death Project and produced a design that would become synonymous with ACT UP's aims. The combination of a pink triangle set against a black background and the words "Silence = Death" would soon be printed on posters, T-shirts, stickers, and buttons. The pink triangle used in the ubiquitous design was originally a Nazi emblem to identify gay men in the concentration camps. The Silence = Death Project inverted the triangle and gave it new meaning by pairing it with text that speaks out against oppression. In this variation of the design, people are urged to vote as a way of voicing their concerns and reducing the number of AIDS-related deaths.
Purchase, with funds provided by the ICP Acquisitions Committee, 2000