Intimate Bond Between Artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek Explored in New Book

The Wonderful World That Almost Was traces the shared and separate journeys of the two creatives.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 2:41pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An abstract close-up photograph featuring a textured, glittering surface in shades of gold and silver, evoking the high-end materials and glamorous aesthetic of the 1960s-70s New York art world.The intimate creative bond between artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek is explored in a new book, shedding light on the vibrant downtown New York art scene they inhabited.Fire Island Today

A new book by Andrew Durbin, The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek, explores the complex relationship between the two artists, from their meeting in the late 1950s through their deaths from AIDS-related complications in the 1980s. The book traces their creative paths, which diverged over time, but remained connected by their fond yet sometimes tense friendship.

Why it matters

Hujar and Thek were influential figures in the downtown New York art scene, but their legacies have been remembered quite differently. Hujar's photographs have found posthumous fame, while Thek's more ephemeral works have been largely overlooked. This book aims to shed light on the intimate bond between the two artists and the ways their lives and art were intertwined.

The details

Durbin's book chronicles Hujar and Thek's relationship, from their first meeting in 1956 when Hujar photographed Thek in Florida, to their time together in Europe in the 1960s, to their final, difficult photo session for Hujar's Portraits series in the 1970s. The book unpacks how their creative paths diverged, with Hujar finding steady commercial work and Thek creating more unwieldy, conceptual sculptures. Despite the ups and downs of their friendship, they remained connected, with Hujar continuing to photograph Thek over the years.

  • In 1956, Hujar photographed Thek during a trip to Florida.
  • In the 1960s, Hujar and Thek traveled to Europe together as young artists.
  • In the 1970s, Hujar photographed Thek for his Portraits series, in a difficult sitting.
  • Hujar died in 1987 and Thek in 1988, without reconciling their relationship.

The players

Peter Hujar

An American photographer who became a fixture in the downtown New York art scene in the late 1960s, known for his intimate portraits.

Paul Thek

An American artist who created conceptual sculptures and installations, including his famous "meat pieces" and the seminal work The Tomb.

Andrew Durbin

The author of the new book The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek, which explores the relationship between the two artists.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It was unavoidable. For most of their 20s and 30s, they were intimately connected. They shared a world, in New York, in Europe. To write about one always demands you write about the other.”

— Andrew Durbin, Author

“Many of the best photographs from the trip focus on Paul. What is most striking in the contact sheets are Paul's eyes, which greet Peter's camera as if they were trying to make as sharp a record of the moment as any photograph ever could.”

— Andrew Durbin, Author

What’s next

The release of The Wonderful World That Almost Was is being heralded by a spate of exhibitions on the artists, including a film program at the Museum of Modern Art, a solo exhibition of Hujar's work at the Morgan Library, and group shows featuring Thek and Hujar's contemporaries.

The takeaway

This book sheds light on the complex and intimate relationship between two influential artists whose legacies have been remembered quite differently. By exploring their shared history and creative paths, it offers a deeper understanding of the artistic community and culture of downtown New York in the 1960s and 1970s.