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GRAN FURY
The Government has Blood on its Hands Offset lithograph poster. 806x542mm, 31 3/4x213/8> inches. 1988. After Silence pl. 7, AIDS Demographics p. 80, Up Against the Wall p. 175.
Gran Fury began as an affinity group associated with ACT UP but soon became a closed collective known for their overtly political, effective propaganda. The "bloody hand" image was originally created when "New York City Commissioner of Health Stephen Joseph suddenly halved the number of estimated AIDS cases in New York City, a move that simultaneously threatened to drastically reduce funding for AIDS services" (After Silence p. 138). These original posters were smaller and had two different versions of text. The poster was turned into a national campaign shortly thereafter, used a part of ACT Up's action to take over the FDA, the government organization responsible for testing possible AIDS therapies.
The poster "was intentionally iconographic and is likely one of our [Gran Fury's] most recognizable images." (After Silence p. 136)
