The work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres reflected the profound impact of AIDS on American society and those living with the disease during the late 1980s and 1990s. Gonzalez-Torres who was both homosexual and HIV positive, created artworks to eulogize the loss of his partner, and incorporated a message of love to transcend societal prejudices against those in the gay community living with AIDS.
Gonzalez-Torres simplified his artistic compositions to redefine the role of the viewer, author and the function of postmodern art. Gonzalez-Torres included and reinterpreted early postmodern art practices of the mid-1960s, such as Minimalism and Conceptualism into his artworks so that a new generation could be exposed to these groundbreaking movements. He incorporated the viewer as an integral component of the compositions; their participation was necessary to complete the meaning found in his artworks. Gonzalez-Torres encouraged the viewer to interact, take parts of the artworks with them, and at times even take creative control over the installation of the artworks. By doing so he created an intimate bond between the viewer and subject that resulted in a loving and unified community.