I, YOU, WE

Apr 25–Sept 1, 2013

A black-and-white photograph by Nicholas Nixon. A woman touches the face of a younger man.

I, you, we: three very commonplace words. These pronouns—with all their implied complexities of meaning—provide an unexpected guide for assessing the works of art from the 1980s and early 1990s in the Museum’s collection. What becomes apparent in this survey of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, and photographs is how the personal, social, and collective issues and concerns of the artists of this time are still relevant several decades later.

I, YOU, WE is organized by David Kiehl, Nancy and Fred Poses Curator.

Ongoing support for the permanent collection and major support for I, YOU, WE is provided by
Bank of America.

I, YOU, WE is the fifth in a two-year series of exhibitions which reassess the Whitney’s collection in anticipation of the Museum’s move downtown. Unfolding chronologically, these exhibitions explore overlooked developments in American art and reconsider iconic figures and works within new contexts.

Artworks

Photo of a man with a dog and a man reading, a girl and a woman in a room.

Tina Barney, The Landscape, 1988. Chromogenic print, 45 3/8 × 58 3/8 in. (115.3 × 148.3 cm). Edition no. 1/10. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz 93.11

Three images in black and white with text around them.

Lorna Simpson, Counting, 1991. Photogravure and screenprint: 73 3/4 × 37 7/8 in. (187.3 × 96.2 cm). Edition no. 60/60. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Print Committee 93.94

A black and white image of a young boy in a patterned shirt, surrounded by text discussing societal challenges and discrimination he may face.

David Wojnarowicz, Untitled (One day this kid . . .), 1990. Photostat, 30 × 40 1/8 in. (76.2 × 101.9 cm). Edition of 10. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Print Committee 2002.183. Courtesy The Estate of David Wojnarowicz and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York, NY

Man with oil stained shirt stands with arms crossed.

Richard Avedon, Bill Curry, drifter, Interstate 40, Yukon, Oklahoma, 6/16/80, 1980, from In the American West, 1979–84. Gelatin silver print mounted on aluminum, 47 × 37 9/16 in. (119.4 × 95.4 cm). Edition no. 3/5. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Norma and Martin Stevens 98.24

A painting with a yellow background, words written and crossed out, and three faces.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hollywood Africans, 1983. Acrylic and oil stick on canvas, 84 1/16 x 84 in. (213.5 x 213.4 cm). Gift of Douglas S. Cramer 84.23. © 2015 The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/ ADAGP, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Woman in a painting with a pink background.

John Currin, Skinny Woman, 1992. Oil on canvas, 50 1/8 × 38 1/16 in. (127.3 × 96.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from The List Purchase Fund and the Painting and Sculpture Committee 92.30

A painting depicting people having fun at the beach on the left and refugees at the beach on the right.

Eric Fischl, A Visit To / A Visit From / The Island, 1983. Oil on canvas, 84 × 168in. (213.4 × 426.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from the Louis and Bessie Adler Foundation, Inc., Seymour M. Klein, President 83.17a b

Black and white page from the New York Times.

Robert Gober, Untitled, 1992–96. Photolithograph, 22 7/16 × 13 9/16 in. (57 × 34.5 cm). Edition no. 4/40. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Print Committee 97.5

Six color images of people in various scenes.

Nan Goldin, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, 1979–96 (detail). Nine-carousel projection with approximately 700 slides, soundtrack, and titles, dimensions variable. Edition no. 1/10. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from The Charles Engelhard Foundation, the Mrs. Percy Uris Bequest, the Painting and Sculpture Committee, and the Photography Committee 92.127

Black background with a message in white at the bottom.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled [Billboard Poster], 1989. Photo-screenprint, 16 5/8 × 21 5/8 in. (42.2 × 54.9 cm). Published by the Public Art Fund Inc., New York. Edition no. 28/250. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Thea Westreich and Ethan Wagner 2005.138

Glenn Ligon, Untitled (I Do Not Always Feel Colored), 1990. Oil stick and gesso on panel, 80 × 30 1/16 × 1 1/2 in. (203.2 × 76.4 × 3.8 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The Bohen Foundation in honor of Thomas N. Armstrong <span class="caps">III 2001.275

Two men with bald heads stand side by side.

Robert Mapplethorpe, Ken Moody and Robert Sherman, 1984. Gelatin silver print, 15 1/8 × 15 3/16 in. (38.4 × 38.6 cm). AP 1/2 AP. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Inc. 97.103.3

Family sits in a car in a black and white photo.

Mary Ellen Mark, The Damm Family in Their Car, Los Angeles, California, 1987. Gelatin silver print, 14 9/16 × 14 3/4 in. (37 × 37.5 cm). Edition no. 12/75. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Raymond W. Merritt 2001.162

Woman in Hijab with arabic written on her face and body.

Shirin Neshat, Unveiling, 1993, from the series Women of Allah. Gelatin silver print and ink, 59 3/4 × 39 3/4 in. (151.8 × 101 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Photography Committee 2000.267

Catherine Opie, Self-Portrait, 1993. Chromogenic print, 39 5/8 × 29 15/16 in. (100.6 × 76 cm). Edition no. 1/8. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Photography Committee 94.64

Kiki Smith, Untitled, 1986. Twelve clear glass bottles, 20 × 10 1/2 × 10 1/2 in. (50.8 × 26.7 × 26.7 cm) each. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The American Contemporary Art Foundation, Leonard A. Lauder, President, in honor of David W. Kiehl 2006.78a-l

Two fireman kissing in front of brick buildings.

Martin Wong, Big Heat, 1988. Synthetic polymer on canvas, 60 1/8 × 48 in. (152.7 × 121.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Painting and Sculpture Committee 99.89. © Estate of Martin Wong; courtesy The Estate of Martin Wong and P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York, NY

Fingers interlocked in a black and white photo.

John Coplans, Self-Portrait (Interlocking Fingers, No. 18), 2000. Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 31 1/8 × 24 in. (79.1 × 61 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Ann and Steven Ames 2000.98

Woman with red shades and detailed background.

Ruth Ellen Weisberg (b. 1942), Passage, 1985. Lithograph, 36 1/4 × 29 11/16in. (92.1 × 75.4 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Gary M. and Brenda H. Ruttenberg 94.200

Drawing of a woman undressing below letters C and K.

Karen Kilimnik, CK, 1993. Wax crayon and synthetic polymer on paper, 35 1/8 × 22 7/16 in. (89.2 × 57 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of The Bohen Foundation 95.31 On view

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