Tom Rubnitz
Tom Rubnitz | |
|---|---|
 Sister Dimension in "Strawberry Shortcut" | |
| Born | Thomas Block Rubnitz April 2, 1956 |
| Died | August 12, 1992 (aged 36) |
| Nationality | American |
Thomas Block Rubnitz (April 2, 1956 – August 12, 1992) was an American video artist most often associated with the New York City East Village drag queen scene of the late 1980s. His video tapes were mainly inspired by pop culture and Las Vegas-style shows. A number of his works featured RuPaul and members of The B-52s. He also worked closely with East Village-associated artists like Club 57 founder Ann Magnuson, David Wojnarowicz, Lady Bunny, Hapi Phace, and John Sex.[1]
Rubnitz's other works include "Strawberry Shortcut" and "Pickle Surprise."[2][3]
Rubnitz worked with The B-52s in 1987 to produce a "public service announcement" for the Art Against AIDS organization's "Summer of Love" project, which visually referenced the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles in tableau vivant form, featured the B-52s, Willi Ninja, Allen Ginsberg, Nam Jun Paik, Quentin Crisp, Lady Bunny, David Byrne, and others.[4]
In 1989, Rubnitz released the song and video "Love Is the Message" under his own name. The song sampled 's edit of MFSB's instrumental "Love Is the Message."
Personal life[]
Rubnitz was born in Chicago and lived in Manhattan. He was openly gay.[3] He died at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of an AIDS-related illness in August 1992 at the age of 36.
References[]
- ^ "Tom Rubnitz, 1956–1992". Visual AIDS. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Economy, Michael (22 Feb 2018). "Beyond Beauty with Billy Erb". Paper. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Hustle with my Muscle: The Short Films of Tom Rubnitz". London Short Film Festival. 18 Jan 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Dangerous Minds.net, "Art Against AIDS: The B-52s and Friends" (Feb 23, 2012) [1]
External links[]
- Tom Rubnitz at Find a Grave
- Tom Rubnitz in the Video Data Bank
- Tom Rubnitz at IMDb
- UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation present Pickle Surprise! The Eyes of Tom Rubnitz
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- 1956 births
- 1992 deaths
- Artists from Chicago
- American video artists
- New York City nightlife
- AIDS-related deaths in New York (state)
- American drag queens
- American artist stubs