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David Wojnarowicz "A Fire in My Belly" - Original - GOOD QUALITY from ppow_gallery on Vimeo.
FIRE IN MY BELLY (Excerpt)), 1986-87
Super 8mm film, black and white & color
Running time: 00:04:00
Courtesy of The Estate Of David Wojnarowicz and P.P.O.W. Gallery, NY and The Fales Library and Special Collections/ New York University
This is the version of David Wojnarovicz’s film that was shown at, and has since been censored by, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. It was initially edited by curators Jonathan Katz and Bart Everly with audio from an Act Up march in which Wojnarovicz’s voice can be heard.
In the gallery we are also showing:
FIRE IN MY BELLY (Film In Progress), 1986-87
Super 8mm film, black and white & color
Silent
Running time: 00:13:06
FIRE IN MY BELLY
(Excerpt From The Archives), 1986-87
Super 8mm film, black and white & color
Silent
Running time: 00:07:00
Both are
Courtesy of The Estate Of David Wojnarowicz and P.P.O.W. Gallery, NY and The Fales Library and Special Collections/ New York University
Untitled, 1990-91
Photostat
30 x 40 inches
Edition of 10
Collection of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom
UNTITLED (Man Falling), 1982
Map collage
9 x 12.5 inches
Collection of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom
UNTITLED (Falling Buffalo), 1988-89
Gelatin silver print
10 x 13 inches
Edition of 100
Collection of Brian Marsh and Michelle Dunn Marsh with the support of Lawrimore Project
 
UNTITLED (for Act Up), 1990
Silkscreen on paper
2 prints, 22.5 x 27 inches each
Edition of 100
Collection of Tacoma Art Museum, gift of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
P.P.O.W and The Estate of David Wojnarowicz disagree with the Smithsonian’s decision to withdraw the artist’s
1987 film piece “A Fire in My Belly” from the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition entitled “Hide/Seek:
Difference and Desire in American Portraiture.” P.P.O.W has represented Wojnarowicz’s work since 1988 and
maintained a close working relationship with the artist until his death in 1992. The gallery now represents his
estate.
On behalf of the estate, the gallery would like to offer the artist’s words to illuminate his original intentions. In a
1989 interview Wojnarowicz spoke about the role of animals as symbolic imagery in his work, stating, “Animals
allow us to view certain things that we wouldn’t allow ourselves to see in regard to human activity. In the Mexican
photographs with the coins and the clock and the gun and the Christ figure and all that, I used the ants as a
metaphor for society because the social structure of the ant world is parallel to ours.”
The call for the removal of “A Fire in My Belly” by Catholic League president William Donahue is based on his
misinterpretation that this work was “hate speech pure and simple.” This statement insults the legacy of
Wojnarowicz, who dedicated his life to activism and the arts community. David Wojnarowicz’s work is collected
by international museums including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, The Whitney Museum, The Library of
Congress, The New York Public Library, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Reina Sofia in Madrid,
Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, etc. Wojnarowicz is also an
established writer; his most well known memoirs are Close to the Knives and Memories That Smell Like Gasoline,
which are included on many university syllabi.
In 1990 the artist won a historic Supreme Court case, David Wojnarowicz v. American Family Association. The
courts sided with Wojnarowicz after he filed suit against Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association,
who copied, distorted and disseminated the artist’s images in a pamphlet to speak out against the NEA’s funding of
exhibits that included art works of Wojnarowicz and other artists. We are deeply troubled that the remarks, which
led to the removal of David’s work from Hide/Seek, so closely resemble those of the past. Wojnarowicz’s fight for
freedom of artistic expression, once supported by the highest court, is now challenged again. In his absence, we
know that his community, his supporters, and the many who believe in his work will carry his convictions forward.
Two versions of “A Fire in My Belly” will be posted on P.P.O.W’s Vimeo channel and on our website’s news
page:
Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/17457052
P.P.O.W News Page: http://www.ppowgallery.com/news.php
This includes the original 13-minute version edited by Wojnarowicz and the 4-minute version shown at the
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, edited by curator Jonathan Katz and Bart Everly with audio from an ACT
UP march in which you can hear David Wojnarowicz’ voice. To download and to screen contact P.P.O.W Gallery.
Additional images of his other works, including “Christ with Ants” and “Untitled (One Day This Kid…)” can be
found on his artist’s page: http://ppowgallery.com/selected_work.php?artist=14
For further information or a DVD of these videos please contact the gallery at
(212) 647-1044 or email info@ppowgallery.com
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