The photography and life of Peter Hujar (1934-1987) was deeply tied to New York. Based in a loft studio in the East Village, the artist captured striking images of the built landscape whilst celebrating the lives of individuals in crisp black-and-white portraits. Subjects included Susan Sontag, David Wojnarowicz, Fran Lebowitz, Sheryl Sutton and Gary Indiana – capturing the nuances of individuality and the creative spirit of the 20th century.

A solo show at Jeu de Paume, Paris, titled Speed of Life, shines a light on this work, highlighting the photographer’s engagement with the city and culture. The gallery notes: “Hujar inhabited a world of avant-garde dance, music, art, and drag performance. His mature career paralleled the public unfolding of gay life between the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.”

The show opens 15 October. Find out more here.

Lead image: From Rockefeller Center: The Equitable Building, 1976. Peter Hujar. © Peter Hujar Archive, LLC, courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
1. Gary Indiana Veiled, 1981. Peter Hujar. © Peter Hujar Archive, LLC, courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.
2. Sheryl Sutton, 1977. Peter Hujar. © Peter Hujar Archive, LLC, courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
3. Susan Sontag, 1975. Peter Hujar. © Peter Hujar Archive, LLC, courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.