Book of the Day > Doug Meyer: Heroes: A Tribute
Book of the Day > Doug Meyer: Heroes, A Tribute. Published by Tra Publising. "Heroes: A Tribute pays homage to fifty brilliant, creative figures who were early victims of AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses. Through captivating, three-dimensional portraits that reflect core aspects of each individual, artist Doug Meyer celebrates the lives and accomplishments of pioneers from the worlds of art, design, film, and dance—people such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Rudolph Nureyev, Freddie Mercury, Rock Hudson, John Duka, Tina Chow, Klaus Nomi, Halston, and Angelo Donghia. In addition to honoring the individuals portrayed, Meyer hopes to highlight their contributions for younger generations. Heroes began as an installation at a DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) event and grew into a traveling exhibition. The portraits vary significantly in form, material, and style, and incorporate drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography. Meyer often blends techniques and media, such as terracotta, églomisé, papier-mâché, and computer-generated collage. The text includes essays by Meyer and contributing writer Beth Dunlop as well as short biographies of each hero. The Trade Edition was produced in response to the popularity of the Art and Collector’s editions and includes additional pages from Meyer’s sketchbooks showing his process, new photography of the portraits, a graphic redesign featuring colorful backgrounds for the portraits, and reorganized editorial content."