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