Name/Title
(1989) Kozik, 52,435 Dead — Government Apathy: AIDS — Help Blow the Whistle on Bush Poster, Austin, TexasDescription
Frank Kozik, 52,435 Dead — Government Apathy: AIDS — Help Blow the Whistle on Bush, 1989
Political protest poster
Artist: Frank Kozik
Place of production: Austin, Texas, United States
Screen print
This screen-printed poster calls attention to AIDS-related deaths under the administration of President George H. W. Bush. The headline “52,435 DEAD” appears prominently at the top, followed by “Government Apathy: AIDS.” The central image depicts a suited political figure bearing authoritarian symbolism, flanked by illustrated laborers stacking bricks and bundles of documents. The right margin reads “KOZIK 89,” identifying both artist and year. The poster announces a protest scheduled for Wednesday, April 26 at 4 p.m. at the Capitol Building in Austin, Texas, organized by “A Coalition for Political Empowerment.”
The number “52,435” reflects cumulative AIDS deaths reported in the United States during the late 1980s, framing the epidemic as a matter of political responsibility rather than medical inevitability. The confrontational tone and stark black-and-white composition situate the work within direct-action protest graphics of the period.
Although Kozik later became widely known for brightly colored, psychedelic concert posters and commercial graphic work, this early piece represents a more overtly political intervention. Its restrained palette, aggressive symbolism, and focus on governmental accountability distinguish it from his later commercial aesthetic and align it with activist print culture of the late 1980s.
Provenance: Chisholm Larsson GalleryArtwork Details
Medium
Screen PrintSubject
AIDS ActivismSubject Person or Organization
George BushSubject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
Austin, TXSeries
AIDS Protest PostersMade/Created
Place
* Untyped Place
Austin, TCXCreate Date
July 29, 2025Update Date
October 15, 2026