Whitney Biennial 1981
Jan 20–Apr 12, 1981
The Whitney Biennial 1981 was curated by John G. Hanhardt, Barbara Haskell, Richard Marshall, and Patterson Sims.
View the full exhibition catalogue at the Internet Archive.
Artists
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Vito Acconci
11 works in the collection
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Robert Adams
36 works in the collection
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Gregory Amenoff
4 works in the collection
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William Anastasi
5 works in the collection
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Kenneth Anger
5 works in the collection
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Siah Armajani
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Charles Arnoldi
1 work in the collection
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Alice Aycock
3 works in the collection
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William Bailey
6 works in the collection
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Jennifer Bartlett
18 works in the collection
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Lynda Benglis
5 works in the collection
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James Benning
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Jonathan Borofsky
12 works in the collection
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Stan Brakhage
3 works in the collection
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Robert Breer
2 works in the collection
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Michael Brewster
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Barbara Buckner
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Scott Burton
1 work in the collection
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Harry Callahan
15 works in the collection
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Jo Ann Callis
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Louisa Chase
8 works in the collection
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Christo
7 works in the collection
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Larry Clark
75 works in the collection
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Robert Cumming
90 works in the collection
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Peter D’Agostino
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Willem de Kooning
19 works in the collection
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Richard Diebenkorn
16 works in the collection
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John Divola
14 works in the collection
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Rackstraw Downes
2 works in the collection
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Benni Efrat
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Rafael Ferrer
1 work in the collection
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Robert Fichter
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Vernon Fisher
3 works in the collection
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Kit Fitzgerald and John Sanborn
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Richard Fleischner
1 work in the collection
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Hollis Frampton
15 works in the collection
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Richard Francisco
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Robert Frank
26 works in the collection
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Howard Fried
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Benno Friedman
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Jedd Garet
1 work in the collection
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Ernie Gehr
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Barry Gerson
3 works in the collection
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Davidson Gigliotti
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Frank Gillette
4 works in the collection
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Bette Gordon
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Shalom Gorewitz
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Larry Gottheim
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Jan Groover
14 works in the collection
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Duane Hanson
1 work in the collection
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Martha Haslanger
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David Haxton
17 works in the collection
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Al Held
8 works in the collection
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Nancy Holt
2 works in the collection
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Bryan Hunt
9 works in the collection
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Takahiko Iimura
2 works in the collection
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Ken Jacobs
1 work in the collection
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Neil Jenney
6 works in the collection
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Bill Jensen
14 works in the collection
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Steve Keister
2 works in the collection
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Ellsworth Kelly
44 works in the collection
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Edward Kienholz
6 works in the collection
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Robert Kushner
6 works in the collection
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George Landow
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William Larson
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Peter Lodato
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Kim MacConnel
2 works in the collection
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Robert Mapplethorpe
19 works in the collection
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Joel Meyerowitz
67 works in the collection
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Duane Michals
2 works in the collection
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Richard Misrach
18 works in the collection
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Mary Miss
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Owen Morrel
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Robert Moskowitz
9 works in the collection
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Grant Mudford
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Elizabeth Murray
49 works in the collection
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Andrew Noren
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Arthur Ollman
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Dennis Oppenheim
25 works in the collection
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Nam June Paik
29 works in the collection
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Ed Paschke
3 works in the collection
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Judy Pfaff
5 works in the collection
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Katherine Porter
2 works in the collection
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Kenneth Price
6 works in the collection
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Martin Puryear
8 works in the collection
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Yvonne Rainer
2 works in the collection
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Leland Rice
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Bruce Robbins
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James Rosenquist
30 works in the collection
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Julian Schnabel
6 works in the collection
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Victor Schrager
1 work in the collection
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Buky Schwartz
1 work in the collection
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Richard Serra
24 works in the collection
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Joel Shapiro
43 works in the collection
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Sally Shapiro
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Paul Sharits
6 works in the collection
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Richard Shaw
1 work in the collection
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Judith Shea
7 works in the collection
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Stuart Sherman
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Hollis Sigler
1 work in the collection
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Sandy Skoglund
3 works in the collection
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Alexis Smith
5 works in the collection
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Joan Snyder
4 works in the collection
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Robert Snyder
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Chick Strand
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Wayne Thiebaud
8 works in the collection
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Richard Thompson
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Joan Thorne
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Jack Tworkov
8 works in the collection
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Bill Viola
1 work in the collection
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Russ Warren
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William Wegman
53 works in the collection
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Robert Wilson
4 works in the collection
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Robert Zakanitch
3 works in the collection
Installation Photography

Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: James Rosenquist, Dog Descending a Staircase (1980); James Rosenquist, Untitled (1980); Willem de Kooning, Untitled III; Willem de Kooning, Untitled I. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Russ Warren, Triumph of Death and Etla Nache; Neil Jenny, Meltdown Morning (1972/1980); Neil Jenny, Window #6 (1980); Richard Thompson, Planet Family Portrait (1980); Richard Thompson, That Awful Moment at Rainbow’s End Trailer Court (1980); Richard Shaw, Mike Goes Back to T; Richard Shaw, Back to Stinson; Richard Shaw, House of Pencils with Two Volumes. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Richard Thompson, Planet Family Portrait (1980); Richard Thompson, That Awful Moment at Rainbow’s End Trailer Court (1980); Jim Shaw, Mike Goes Back to T; Jim Shaw, Back to Stinson; Ed Paschke, Violencia. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Ed Pasche, Violencia; Jim Shaw, House of Pencils with Two Volumes; Jim Shaw, Back to Stinson; Jim Shaw, Mike Goes Back to T; Louisa Chase, Thicket; Louisa Chase, Ravine. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Scott Burton, Table (1978–81); Robert Kushner, Happy Hour (1980); Scott Burton, Two Chairs (1980); Robert Kushner, Same Outfit: 2 panels (1980). Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Ken Price, Flag; Joan Thorne, Mazu (1980); Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park #125 (1980); Ken Price, Avocado and Wine; Ken Price, Orange Box. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Wayne Thiebaud, San Francisco Freeways (1980–81); Wayne Thiebaud, Freeways (1978–79); Neil Jenny, Meltdown Morning (1972/1980); Neil Jenny, Window #6 (1980). Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Rafael Ferrer, El Gran Carnibal; Ed Paschke, Violencia; Bruce Robbins, Vanquisher; Bruce Robbins, Beyondo; Charles Arnoldi, Untitled (1980). Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right: Charles Arnoldi, Untitled (1980); Richard Francisco, Constellation (1980); Lynda Benglis, Eclosion Grouping: Maya Illusion; Amboda Flounce, Kaya Body; Amboda Flounce, Mattha Head. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements


Installation view of the 1981 Biennial Exhibition (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 20–April 19, 1981). From left to right (far left): Leland Rice, Wall Site: Blue Door; Leland Rice, Wall Site: PS1, Papered Wall; Leland Rice, Wall Site: Spray Painted Latice Against Wall. Photograph by Geoffrey Clements

In the News
“. . . an occasionally repulsive show. There are whole stretches of it, moreover, that are extremely boring. All the same, it is a show that everyone interested in the art of our time will want to see. It is a show that really tells us something about the condition of our culture.” —The New York Times
“Most of the photography hanging right now in the Whitney Biennial is kitsch, if one of the ways we define kitsch is an extraordinary expenditure of means with very little result.” —October
More from this series
Learn more about the Whitney Biennial, the longest-running survey of American art.