Focus on living

portraits of americans with hiv/aids (1996-2001)

Opening December 1, 2024

About the Exhibition

Focus on Living: Portraits of Americans with HIV and AIDS is a powerful photography exhibition by San Francisco-based photographer Roslyn Banish.

The exhibition features 16 portraits from Banish’s larger project, Focus on Living, published by the University of Massachusetts Press and includes 40 photographs paired with first-person testimonies. The people she photographed—young and old, gay, straight, bisexual, and transgender—come from diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The portraits and interviews reveal the universal truth that HIV knows no boundaries, impacting people across all walks of life.

“Roslyn Banish’s unadorned portraits provide a window into the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of people living with HIV,” said GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Roberto Ordeñana. “This exhibition reminds us of the enduring impact of the epidemic and the importance of preserving and sharing these personal stories as part of LGBTQ history.”

Focus on Living provides an opportunity to reflect on the impact of HIV/AIDS, bringing those experiences into focus through the deeply personal lens of Banish’s photography. From 1997 to 2002, Banish interviewed and photographed Americans living with HIV or AIDS, capturing their stories of survival, resilience, and transformation. Her work transcends statistics to reveal the human experience of the epidemic, emphasizing themes of stigma, community, and advocacy.

The stories represented in Focus on Living are both heartbreaking and hopeful. Some subjects share experiences of stigma, loss, and survival, while others reflect on the ways medical advancements have extended their lives. These narratives challenge stereotypes and foster a deeper understanding of the epidemic’s human impact.

“My goal has been to humanize HIV/AIDS, to get beyond the stereotypes and statistics,” said Banish. “In the end, I hope we are all more knowledgeable about the disease. I especially hope we are more compassionate and understanding of those brave souls who, despite enormous challenges, have managed to stay focused on the business of living.”

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About the curator

Roslyn Banish is a San Francisco-based photographer and author whose work has been featured in exhibitions and publications across the United States. She holds a Master’s degree in Photography from the Institute of Design in Chicago, where she studied under Aaron Siskind and Arthur Siegel. Banish’s projects often focus on storytelling through intimate portraits and interviews, exploring themes of resilience, social justice, and human connection. Her groundbreaking book Focus on Living: Portraits of Americans with HIV and AIDS provides a deeply personal look at 40 individuals living with HIV, illustrating the disease’s human impact across cultural, economic, and geographic boundaries. Other works include City Families: Chicago and London and Focus on Abortion: Americans Share Their Stories.

About the GLBT Historical Society

Founded in 1985, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of LGBTQ public history. Our operations are centered around two sites: our GLBT Historical Society Museum, located since 2011 in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood; and our Dr. John P. De Cecco Archives and Research Center, open to researchers in the Mid-Market district.