By WUKY Staff
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-979152.mp3
Lexington, KY – Lexington artists Jim Brancaccio and Bob Morgan have seen a lot of changes in the central Kentucky area, both socially and in the art world. Jim is a former gallery director at the Living Arts & Science Center. Bob describes himself as a renegade artist who focuses on uncomfortable subject matter. Here the two friends talk about using art to remember people who suffered with HIV & AIDS.
"The whole thing of being an artist in a small Southern town I have found over the years especially difficult," says Bob.
"Well just being an artist is going to be difficult," laughs Jim.
Jim's art consists of collages made of paper and drawings, while Bob works with three-dimensional objects.
"I'm trying to tell stories, generally based on horrifying deaths early in the AIDS epidemic and young drug addicts that died in the streets in our small Southern town and people that I've worked with and took care of when they were sick and dying and people who I promised I would tell their stories," says Bob.
Jim says Bob has been active not only caring for people physically but loving them as well. The turning point for Bob was seeing a young gay man who was rejected by his family.
"I had encouraged him to come out and to not be burdened by his family and his upbringing. And I felt just an intense responsibility for younger gay kids that had AIDS that I had encouraged all those years to come out and be who they really were."
Bob used drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain, but says the death of his friend led to him getting clean and sober.
"I do hope that the next generation in our town has an easier go of it, being artists and trying to pursue some creative endeavors in our community."
Bob Morgan and Jim Brancaccio's StoryCorps conversation will be archived at the Library of Congress.