Following Beneš's trip to Africa his work became increasingly contradictory during the 70s and 80s. His art revolved around clever artistic puns (i.e. a book nailed shut in protest of freedom of speech). During this time he and his aunt Evelyn, who was interested in the stories of Barton's life in New York, would exchange letters. Fueled by speed she would write letters ranging from 50 to 60 pages. Barton would then turn the letters in to small intricate books. While Beneš was using his aunt as a prompt for his art, a hustler that was hired by Beneš began an affair with his lover Howard. Aunt Evelyn who had begun writing to Bartons friends, also began writing to the hustler. During the affair the hustler responded to Aunt Evelyn informing her of what her letters were being used for. This led to a falling out between Beneš and his Aunt. She threatened to sue him, then immediately stopped all communication with her nephew. Later in life Beneš attempted to reconnect with his aunt, but his efforts were not successful. In 1986 Howard Meyer was diagnosed with
Kaposi's Sarcoma and Benĕs with AIDS. The next few years after he was diagnosed included the passing of a number of close friends. Three years afterwards Howard Meyers passed from his illness. This was the breaking point for Beneš as he watched his lover pass. Barton says that “When he died—it's crazy but true—I saw the energy leave his body, and I got on top of him to grab the energy.”. For the first time since Beneš was diagnosed with AIDS, he had an artistic impulse. He was inspired to use the emotions he was experiencing in his work. Beneš began to use his friends and their memories as mementos in his pieces. On one evening in 1990 Beneš cut his hand while preparing dinner. Being used to fact that his blood is toxic he rushed for bleach. Before retrieving the bleach however, he began to focus on the idea that his blood contained a dualistic meaning. Responding to the experience he began a series of pieces titled “Lethal Weapons”, a series of 8 shadow boxes, each containing a different weapon containing his blood. During the first showing of his exhibit in 1990 his pieces were disinfected at 160 degrees in a hospital oven while in
Lund, Sweden due to the extreme level of discomfort that the patrons were experiencing. After his diagnosis, Beneš became an advocate for the destigmatization of AIDS. From 2003 to 2009 he served on the board of
Visual AIDS. His artwork became a visual representation of AIDS and its history. He turned his life from a victim of the disease to a terrorist. He would inflict symbolic violence on a judgemental society, his works of art showing the lethality of a disease. Beneš also explored the eroticism of his illness, using eroticism to cope with the world around him. When two of his friends died, he paid tribute to the couple by combining both of their ashes in a hourglass, symbolically binding his friends in death. == Late life and death ==