Living with AIDS

An artist's personal experience with AIDS is depicted in about 40 works of art now on display at the Grand Valley State University Art Gallery.

'Jeff Colby: Working and Living with AIDS,' on exhibit February 17 through March 14, includes paintings, collages and large, colorful three-dimensional objects by the late Chicago artist Jeff Colby. Most pieces depict Colby's struggle with AIDS and present a powerful picture of the thoughts and emotions ¿ often unspoken ¿ that AIDS sufferers experience. Many also convey the artist's continued celebration of life. Colby died of AIDS in 1996, at the age of 40.

Born in New York in 1956, Colby received his MFA in 1978 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He became well known in the art world for his whimsical sculptures fashioned from found items such as rusted metal, broken glass and discarded lumber. After he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988, Colby's artwork underwent a significant change, employing personal objects and narrative in collages that document his thoughts and feelings as he dealt with the disease.

Some pieces incorporate medical supplies; in others, Colby has used photographs of himself and even his own blood. Many works convey the artist's enduring sense of humor. Written on one installment is a statement by Colby that is likely shared by many of the estimated 42 million people worldwide now infected with HIV/AIDS: 'I was aware of this thing called AIDS, but very na¿ve and uneducated about it. And typical of youth, I thought it would never happen to me.'

During his career, Colby participated in scores of solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and was the recipient of artist awards and fellowships. The collection at Grand Valley was donated by Colby's friend, Dr. Tom Carlson of Chicago. Selected pieces will be on permanent display in Grand Valley's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, slated to open this fall.

The GVSU Art Gallery is located in the Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus. Hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Thursdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. A reception is scheduled for March 13, 5-7 p.m. at the gallery, and is open to the public. For more information, call the Art Gallery at (616) 331-2564.