John Giorno was an American poet, performance artist, and a pivotal figure in the postwar New York avant-garde scene. Born on December 4, 1936, in New York City, Giorno's life and work spanned a period of intense cultural and artistic transformation. He grew up in Brooklyn and Roslyn Heights, Long Island, as the only child of Amadeo and Nancy (Garbarino) Giorno. His father owned a clothing manufacturing company, and his mother was a fashion designer, both of which hinted at the creative environment that would shape his future endeavors. Giorno attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn, where he was contemporaneous with notable figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Bernie Sanders. He discovered his sexuality in his early teens, a revelation that would later profoundly influence his artistic output. After high school, Giorno pursued higher education at Columbia University, graduating in 1958. It was during his time at Columbia that he encountered the Beat Generation, particularly through Allen Ginsberg's "Howl," which had a profound impact on him. In the early 1960s, Giorno became an active presence in New York's burgeoning art scene. His life took a significant turn when he met Andy Warhol, with whom he had a romantic relationship. This connection led to Giorno's starring role in Warhol's film "Sleep" in 1963, an eight-hour film that featured Giorno sleeping and became an iconic work of the avant-garde cinema of the time. His relationship with Warhol and other artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns deeply influenced his approach to poetry and performance. Giorno's work in poetry was revolutionary. He sought to bring poetry into the modern age, to make it as relevant and accessible as the visual arts. He was inspired by the found imagery of Pop Art and the cut-up techniques of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin. In 1965, he founded Giorno Poetry Systems (GPS), an innovative collective that sought to use new technologies to disseminate poetry to a broader audience. One of GPS's most famous projects was Dial-A-Poem, a service that allowed users to listen to poems over the telephone, which included contributions from various poets and activists. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Giorno's work continued to push boundaries. He was not only a poet but also a muse and a mentor to many in the art world. His performances were known for their energetic and often explicit nature, reflecting his open embrace of his homosexuality at a time when it was still taboo in mainstream society. Giorno's poetry often drew from his personal experiences and the political climate of the times, addressing themes such as the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and later, the AIDS crisis. In the 1980s, Giorno's activism took a more direct form when he founded the AIDS Treatment Project, providing support to artists and individuals affected by the epidemic. His work during this period reflected the grief and solidarity of the gay community as it faced the devastating impact of AIDS. Giorno's contributions to the arts were not limited to his poetry and activism. He was also a visual artist, creating text-based paintings with bold, attention-grabbing phrases that were both provocative and meditative. His work in this medium often incorporated elements of his Buddhist practice, which he embraced after a transformative trip to India in 1971. In the later years of his life, Giorno continued to perform and exhibit his work globally. He was the subject of a retrospective titled "I ♥︎ John Giorno," organized by his husband, the Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, which showcased the breadth of his artistic career. The retrospective was first held at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris in 2015 and later traveled to various venues in New York City. John Giorno passed away on October 11, 2019, at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped the landscape of poetry and performance art. His work remains a testament to his innovative spirit, his commitment to social justice, and his enduring influence on generations of artists and poets.

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