This piece, made up of an innocuous pile of brightly wrapped candies, is likely one of the most recognizable works of queer American art.
Its iconic status made it all the more surprising for folks in the queer community to discover that, for a time, all mention of homosexuality and the piece’s subject had been removed from the installation’s label.Cuban-American artist Félix González-Torres created “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) in 1991 to represent the body of his partner, Ross Laycock, whose own body was deteriorating throughout his battle with AIDS.