The Subject of AIDS

Actually there are far too few works from Lips on this subject in order to dedicate a specific group for them. But Lips’ handling of the sickness is remarkable. On the one hand, in his own work he had never taken such a moralistic stand – such a clear position – as he did in the two triptychs on the subject of AIDS. However, there is no sign of rebellion in Lips, of a demand made from a stigmatizing or indifferent society, like one finds in many of the artists affected with AIDS during this time. Lips looks for guilt. And he looks for the blame for this disease in his own group. A lack of love and commercialized sex – here is where he looks for the source of the infection. He places the photographed pornography photos across from affectionate pictures of dance and encounters.

SB 096	SB 098	SB 097
Conserver Sex links, Oben sowie als auch unten, Conserver Sex rechts (Artificial “canned” sex (left), above as well as below; artificial “canned” sex (right)), all 1992)

SB 100	SB 102	SB 101
All without title, 1991/92

Two works from 1987 are titled “Positive-Negative.” They still hide behind their technique. “Positive-Negative” was also the name of an exhibition in the Berlin gay café Anderes Ufer (Another Shore). Lips papered the entire café with two postcard-sized motifs from his 1988 head-series – a red one and a blue-green one, a positive and a negative head. This arrangement was very dark and gloomy and produced a threatening effect. “Positive-Negative” was for Lips primarily not a test result, but rather the decision that a person can make regarding life. A decision against the evil and for the good. Almost up to his death Lips thought that if he could only live positively enough, he would be able to defeat the infection.

SB 033		SB 034
Without title (Positive-Negative I), 1986		Without title (Positive-Negative II), 1987