Nelson Sullivan in COMPULSIVE PRACTICE

Nelson Sullivan (1948–1989) was a video artist in New York City during the 1980s. Nelson lived in a large townhouse at 5 Ninth Avenue in the Meatpacking District of New York City and his houseguests over the years included Lady Bunny, Michael Alig and the Club Kids, Sylvia Miles, Albert Crudo, and John Sex. Nelson's friendships with the emerging artists of that day like RuPaul, Deee-lite, Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman give Nelson's videos an intimacy that allows the viewer an in-crowd look at the past. Sullivan died of a heart-attack at the age of 41.

Excerpts of Sullivan’s videos were featured as part of COMPULSIVE PRACTICE, curated by Jean Carlomusto, Alexandra Juhasz, and Hugh Ryan for Visual AIDS in 2016. The program compiled compulsive, daily, and habitual video practices by nine artists and activists who live with their cameras as one way to manage, reflect upon, and change how they are deeply affected by HIV/AIDS.