Laura Edidin,
Managing Attorney and HIV-Related Violence Program Coordinator,
New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project

I chose these pieces as a way of honoring victims of violence. Violence brings chaos and confusion into the lives of the people it touches. They must then struggle to make peace with the trauma they have suffered. After spending several hours with these images, I was struck by a sense of calm that stayed with me long after I left the Visual AIDS archive to return to work. Maybe it's because the clean, elegant lines of these pieces seem to echo our efforts to winnow away the debris left by violence. Or perhaps it's that they are rendered with a sureness of hand that imparts a sense of order to the viewer. Whatever their secret, I hope that these images invoke the same serenity to others who view them as well.

1. Pedro Colon "Shame," 1996
11" x 8.5" ink on paper

2. Pedro Colon - Untitled

3. Ken Goodman, "Ball, Jacks," 1986
18"x18" ea. oil on canvas

4. Ken Goodman, "Marbles," 1987
18"x18" oil on canvas

5. Donnie Hudson - Untitled

6. Donnie Hudson - Untitled

7. Bob Corti, "Exposed:Michael," 1996
20"x16" black and white photograph

8. Abnel Rodriguez-Quiles, "Angel De Colores," 1996
11"x14" mixed media

9. Eric Rhein, "Important Human," 1997
9"x6" wire on paper

10. Eric Rhein, "Bartley's Etude," 1990
24" x 13" x 9.5" mixed media

11. Hugh Steers, "Black Bag"
45"x38" oil

Laura Edidin is the Managing Attorney and HIV-Related Violence Program Coordinator of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project ("AVP"). Before joining the staff at AVP, Laura had a diverse career ranging from Executive Director of the Nassau County Democratic Party to producer of a documentary film.

AVP was founded in 1980 to assist lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive ("LGBTH") victims of crime by providing counseling, advocacy, and legal services. In 1998 alone, AVP served more than 1,000 victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, bias crime, pick-up crime, police misconduct, HIV-related violence and other forms of violence.

AVP's HIV-Related Violence Program provides services to victims of crimes when HIV is a motivating or complicating factor. HIV-related violence can include discrimination in housing, employment, public places and public services; AIDS-phobic verbal harassment; physical assaults motivated by anti-HIV/AIDS bias; domestic violence (e.g., revealing HIV status to others, forced unsafe sex, withholding medical attention or medication, demeaning the partner with HIV/AIDS etc.); and abuse and/or neglect by service providers.

For more information about AVP or the HIV-Related Violence Program, please call AVP's 24-hour bilingual hotline at (212) 714-1141.

Visual AIDS: 526 w26th st no 510 new york new york 10001 tel: 212 627 9855 fax: 212.6279815 email visaids@earthlink.net