Appearing Asymptomatic

Scott Burton’s (1939–89) sculpture of the 1980s took the form of inconspicuous sculptures of benches, settees, and tables. With these works, Burton helped to redefine public art in the decade. His move into public art paralleled the first phase of the AIDS crisis—from 1981 to 1987—and was informed by his living with AIDS. This essay interweaves these histories in order to make a case for Burton’s sculpture as responding to AIDS while camouflaging that response—that is, by appearing asymptomatic. The genre of public art was particularly inhospitable to queer artists or artists with HIV, but Burton infiltrated it to create works that offered contact and support in public to many. By offering this account of Burton’s tactics of dissemblance, I argue that the knowledge of AIDS and its effects shaped his commitment to public art, which modeled one proposal for how to live through the AIDS crisis.