The B-52s produced this quintessentially ’80s “Art Against AIDS” public service announcement for AMFAR with the late NYC-based video artist Tom Rubnitz (best known for those triply “Strawberry Shortcut” and “Pickle Surprise” videos). It features a jaw-dropping tableau vivant that recalls the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s” album cover (with the flowers spelling out “Be Alive”). Anybody who was anybody at the time was there, including video artist Nam Jun Paik, beat poet Allen Ginsberg, Dancenoise, voguing legend Willie Ninja, Nile Rodgers, Joey Arias, Tseng Kwong Chi, John Waters superstar Mink Stole, David Yarritu (from the band ABC), “Frieda the Disco Doll,” John Kelly as the Mona Lisa, a positively fetal-looking Lady Bunny, performance artist Mike Smith, Kenny Scharf (SO HANDSOME, OMG), Talking Heads singer David Byrne and then-wife Adelle Lutz, supermodel Beverly Johnson, NYC Queen of the Night Dianne Brill, and forever fab queer icon Quentin Crisp… among many others. I remember the commercial aired often on MTV at the time. Who knew it would become such a nostalgic time capsule… and forever immortalize an era that can never be recaptured?

Watch it below. (via Dangerous Minds)