Frank Moore’s paintings are virulently surreal, inspired by his struggle with HIV. After his diagnosis in 1987, his work became laden with themes of nature, sex, and decay. Morbid yet calm, the paintings often mix medical imagery with flowers and lakes, the toxic with the beautiful. In Patient, Moore juxtaposes an empty hospital bed and bleeding IV tube with a rippling lake, falling leaves, and a small bird.

Other pieces delve further into environmental issues, exploring toxicity in the landscape as well as the body. Niagara depicts the scenic waterfall misted over with chemical equations, leading us to question what is beneath the surface.

Moore also worked in stage design and dance films, collaborating with Jim Self on the popular 1985 film Beehive. He died of AIDS in 2002.

WHERE TO SEE
The retrospective Toxic Beauty: The Art of Frank Moore is on view through December 8 at NYU’s Grey Art Gallery and Fales Library & Special Collections.