An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: Pro-Arts, Inc., Peace Needs No Excuse, 1970; Women Strike for Peace, Stop Bombing, c.1967–70; Irving White, Our foreign policy must always be an extension of this nation’s domestic policy…, 1968; Atomic Energy Group, “The streets of our country are in turmoil…”, 1970; Unidentified artist, Cry Freedom, 1967; Women Strike for Peace, End the Draft!, c.1967–70; Josephine Meckseper, March on Washington to End the War on Iraq, 9/24/05, 2005. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Dread Scott (b. 1965), A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday, 2015 (installation view, Whitney Museum of American Art). Nylon, 84 1/2 x 52 1/2 x 1/8 in. (214.6 x 133.4 x 0.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Director’s Discretionary Fund T.2017.262. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: Ad Reinhardt, Abstract Painting, 1960–66; May Stevens, Dark Flag, 1976; Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, The Racist Dog Policemen Must Withdraw Immediately from Our Communities…, c.1970; Gordon Parks, Black Panther Headquarters, San Francisco, California, 1970; Bandaged Hands, Muhammad Ali, 1966; Louis H. Draper, Malcolm X, 369th Armory, Harlem, New York, 1964; Louis H. Draper, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mississippi, 1971; Bruce Davidson, Untitled (Khrushchev can eat here, Why Can’t We), Birmingham, Alabama, 1963; Toyo Miyatake, Watchtower, c.1943; Toyo Miyatake, Untitled (Open Image from Valediction), 1944; Toyo Miyatake, Untitled (Memorial Service at Memorial Monument, Manzanar, c.1945; Toyo Miyatake, Classroom—Visual Education, 1944. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: Nancy Grossman, Head 1968, 1968; Larry Clark, (No title), 1963 (printed 1980); Larry Clark, (No title), 1963 (printed 1980); Larry Clark, (No title), 1963 (printed 1980); Larry Fink, Beatniks, 1958; Larry Fink, Beatniks, 1958; Larry Fink, Beatniks: Tula and Mary, 1958; Larry Fink, Beatniks, 1958; Peter Moore, March for Freedom of Expression, New York, Protesters in a Line, 1964; Peter Moore, March for Freedom of Expression, New York, Peter Orlovsky and Allen Ginsberg, 1964. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, The Racist Dog Policemen Must Withdraw Immediately from Our Communities…, c.1970; Charles B. Hinman, Red Figure, 1967; William N. Copley, Untitled (Think/flag), 1967; Allan D’Arcangelo, Dipped, 1967; Nancy Grossman, Head 1968, 1968. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Carol Summers, Kill for Peace, 1967; Louise Nevelson, Composition, 1967; Adja Yunkers, Aegean I, 1966; Ad Reinhardt, No War, 1967; Irving Petlin, Skin, 1967; Jack Sonenberg, Literal Dimensions, 1967; Leon Golub, Killed Youth, 1967; May Stevens, Dark Flag, 1976. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Senga Nengudi, Internal I, 1977 (refabricated 2014); May Stevens, Dark Flag, 1976. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: Edward Kienholz, The Non War Memorial, 1970; Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Hell No We Won’t Go, c.1969; Unidentified artist, Unite, c.1965–70; Women Strike for Peace, Stop the War, c.1967–70; Leif Skoogfors, John Kerry, 1971; Pro-Arts, Inc., Your Tax Dollars at Work, 1969; Janos Dannavitz, The War Makes Me Sick, 1967; New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, No Christmas-as-usual, c.1971; Students for a Democratic Society, Come to Detroit Nov. 3, Elections are a Hoax…, 1970; Unidentified artist, Tin soldiers and Nixon coming… (Kent State), 1971; Yoko Ono and John Lennon, War is Over! If You Want It, 1969; International Union of Students, Stop U.S. Dirty War in Viet Nam, 1966; Lambert Studios, Inc., War Is Good Business, Invest Your Son, 1969; Unidentified artist, The United States government must end its systematic oppressions of political dissidents…, 1970; Brian Shannon, …But You Can’t Fool All of the People All the Time, 1971; Napalm Graphics, Johnson Pull Out Like Your Father Should Have, 1967; Kiyoshi Kuroyima, Fuck the Draft, 1968; Vietnam Peace Parade Committee, They can do anything we let them get away with…, 1971; Unidentified artist, Cambodia Too?, 1970; Tom Lafferty and Ken Deardoff, War is Hell! As the Man Who Fought One, 1968; Antioch Bookplate Co., Help Free America from Our Tragic Involvement in Vietnam, 1969; Clergy and Laymen Concerned, Is This What You’d Call “Phased Withdrawal?”, 1972; Vietnam Referendum ’70 Committee, Let the People Vote on War!, 1970; Michael Lynne, Give a Damn, Mend America, 1968; Robert L. Ross, Eat Me, 1967; Pro-Arts, Inc., Peace Needs No Excuse, 1970; Women Strike for Peace, Stop Bombing, c.1967–70; Richard Avedon and Marvin Israel, Who Has a Better Right to Oppose the War?, 1969; Gross National Product, Resist, 1968; Unidentified artist, Untitled, 1970; Women Strike for Peace, No More…Stop the War!, c.1967–70; Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Would You Buy a Used WAR from This Man?, 1969; New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Rich Man’s War, the People Pay, 1967; Northern California Peace Action Coalition, March & Rally against the War…, c.1960–70; Irving White, Our foreign policy must always be an extension of this nation’s domestic policy…, 1968; Atomic Energy Group, “The streets of our country are in turmoil…”, 1970; A. Lunsford, “Those who have had a chance for four years…”, 1972; Robert Owen Bastian, Untitled, c.1965–70; National Peace Action Coalition, 25 Years After, 1970; Unidentified artist, Help End Demonstrations, 1968; Unidentified artist, March against Death, Peace Pilgrimage, San Francisco, Nov. 15, 1969, 1969; Pandora Productions, The Vacation Visit Beautiful Vietnam, 1966; United Women’s Contingent, “When Women Decide This War Should End, This War Will End”, 1971; Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Out of S.E. Asia Now! Join the SMC, 1969; Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, U.S. out of Vietnam Now! Bring All the GI’s Home Now, 1970; The Union of Vietnamese in the United States, Nguyen Thai-Binh. Born: 1948—Assassinated: July 2, 1972, c.1972; Unidentified artist, Give Peace a Chance, 1969; Unidentified artist, The Battle of My Lai, 1971; Unidentified artist, “Never think that war, no matter how necessary nor how justified, is not a crime…”, 1970; Don Peterson, Untitled (Toronto), 1968; Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, “We are 1,366 active-duty servicemen. We are opposed to the American involvement in the war in Vietnam…”, 1969; Unidentified artist, Save Lives, Not Face, 1967; Unidentified artist, Cry Freedom, 1967; Women Strike for Peace, End the Draft!, c.1967–70; Sigmund Abeles, Vietnam Summer 1967, 1967; Vietnam Day Committee, University of California, Berkeley, Rock & Roll Benefit Dance…The Jefferson Airplane, 1966; William Weege, Napalm, 1967; Greg Daily, Peace Victory, 1971; Mierle Laderman Ukeles, I Make Maintenance Art One Hour Every Day, September 16–October 20, 1976. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: Mierle Laderman Ukeles, I Make Maintenance Art One Hour Every Day, September 16–October 20, 1976; Martha Rosler, Semiotics of the Kitchen, 1975; Guerrilla Girls, Bus Companies Are More Enlightened than NYC Art Galleries., 1989; Guerrilla Girls, Guerrilla Girls’ Pop Quiz., 1990; Guerrilla Girls, Missing in Action, 1991; Guerrilla Girls, How Many Women Had One-Person Exhibitions at NYC Museums Last Year?, 1985; Guerrilla Girls, If You’re Raped, You Might as Well “Relax and Enjoy It,” Because No One Will Believe You!, 1992; Guerrilla Girls, You’re Seeing Less than Half the Picture, 1989; Guerrilla Girls, Women in America Earn Only 2/3 of What Men Do, 1985; Guerrilla Girls, These Galleries Show No More than 10% Women Artists or None at All, 1985; Guerrilla Girls, At Last! Museums Will No Longer Discriminate against Women and Minority Artists, 1988; Guerrilla Girls, Guerrilla Girls Identities Exposed!, 1990; Guerrilla Girls, Top Ten Ways to Tell if You’re an Art World Token, 1995; Guerrilla Girls, The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist, 1988; Guerrilla Girls, We Sell White Bread, 1987; Guerrilla Girls, Traditional Values and Quality Return to the Whitney Museum, 1995; Guerrilla Girls, Guerrilla Girls Hits List, 1986; Guerrilla Girls, Supreme Court Justice Supports Right to Privacy for Gays and Lesbians., 1992; Suzanne Lacy, Learn Where the Meat Comes From, 1976. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Mierle Laderman Ukeles (b. 1939), detail of I Make Maintenance Art One Hour Every Day, September 16–October 20, 1976 (installation view, Whitney Museum of American Art). Performance with three hundred maintenance employees, day and night shifts, over five weeks, 720 collaged dye diffusion transfer prints with self-adhesive labels, graphite pencil, collaged acrylic on board, and self-adhesive vinyl on paper. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Photography Committee and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation T.2017.2. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right, top to bottom: General Idea, AIDS, 1988; Hermine Freed, Art Herstory, 1974; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: (Title panel), 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Cove Oven Worker’s Lung, This Lung Stays Home, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Ex-Marine and Truck Driver’s Feet, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Insulator and Brick Mason’s Skin, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Dental Technician’s Legs, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Lead Worker’s Blood, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Manufacturing Engineer’s Heart, 1976/1978; Fred Lonidier, The Health and Safety Game: Office Worker’s Nerve, 1976/1978. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Suzanne Lacy, Learn Where the Meat Comes From, 1976; Guerrilla Girls, Guerrilla Girls Review the Whitney, 1987; Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled”, 1989; AA Bronson, Felix Partz, June 5, 1994, 1994/1999. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Suzanne Lacy, Learn Where the Meat Comes From, 1976; Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled”, 1989; Keith Haring, Ignorance = Fear / Silence = Death, 1989. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Tim Rollins and K.O.S., The Whiteness of the Whale II (after Herman Melville), 1991; Carl Pope, Some of the Greatest Hits of the New York City Police Department: A Celebration of Meritorious Achievement in Community Service, 1994; Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds, Relocate Destroy, In Memory of Native Americans, In Memory of Jews, 1987. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Gary Simmons, Green Chalkboard (Triple X), 1993; Daniel Joseph Martinez, Divine Violence, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Annette Lemieux, Black Mass, 1991; Emma Amos, Coloring Lesson, 1995; Gary Simmons, Green Chalkboard (Triple X), 1993. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Kara Walker, Confederate Prisoners Being Conducted from Jonesborough to Atlanta, 2005; Kara Walker, Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats, 2005; Kara Walker, Exodus of Confederates from Atlanta, 2005; Jeffrey Gibson, I Know You Have A Lot of Strength Left, 2017; Andrea Bowers, Wall of Letters: Necessary Reminders from the Past for a Future of Choice #5, 2006. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Annette Lemieux, Black Mass, 1991; Julie Mehretu, Epigraph, Damascus, 2016; Andrea Bowers, San Luis Obispo County Telegraph-Tribune, September 14, 1981, 2004; Andrea Bowers, Non-violent Protest Training, Abalone Alliance Camp, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, 1981, 2004; Glenn Ligon, Untitled (Speech/Crowd) #2, 2000. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Ja’Tovia Gary, An Ecstatic Experience, 2015; Mark Bradford, Constitution III, 2013; Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Celebrate 40,000 Years of American Art, 1995. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940–2017 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, August 18, 2017–). From left to right: Badlands Unlimited and Paul Chan, New No’s, 2016; Ja’Tovia Gary, An Ecstatic Experience, 2015. Photograph by Ron Amstutz