PHOTOS: Gorgeous, Life-Size Banners Honor HIV-Positive Dancers Who Have Passed

It's no secret that photographs of professional dancers are some of the most beautiful images known to man.

Dancers We Lost, a public art exhibit in West Hollywood capitalized on this while increasing visibility of people impacted by HIV, by proudly displaying life-sized photos of famous dancers who have died due to AIDS-related causes.

Dancers We Lost is a comprehensive dance history project honoring and documenting west coast-based performers, part of project that includes an extensive database with biographical information about those who have died of complications from AIDS. But the most visually rewarding element of Dancers We Lost is undeniably the life-size fabric banners displayed by the City of West Hollywood.

The project was created by a who's-who team that includes designer Judi Eichler, biographer William Lipsky (author of author of Gay and Lesbian San Francisco), director/curator Glenne McElhinney (founder of Impact Stories), and photo researcher Elizabeth Pepin Silva (who worked on the films Milk and We Were Here).

Like all good things, the exhibit won't last forever. (Get more information from DancersWeLost.org.) Here's a sampling of the performers honored in these exquisite photos.