A TV, trash can, and a large colorful object.

Rachel Harrison, Hoarders, 2012. Wood, polystyrene, chicken wire, cement, cardboard, acrylic, metal pail, flat screen monitor, wireless headphones, runway carpet, and Hoarders video (digital video, color, sound; 10:39 min, 2012). 61 x 47 x 45 in. (154.9 x 119.4 x 114.3 cm). Courtesy the artist and Greene Naftali, New York

A TV, trash can, and a large colorful object.

Rachel Harrison Life Hack
Oct 25, 2019–Jan 12, 2020

A TV, trash can, and a large colorful object.

Rachel Harrison, Hoarders, 2012. Wood, polystyrene, chicken wire, cement, cardboard, acrylic, metal pail, flat screen monitor, wireless headphones, runway carpet, and Hoarders video (digital video, color, sound; 10:39 min, 2012). 61 x 47 x 45 in. (154.9 x 119.4 x 114.3 cm). Courtesy the artist and Greene Naftali, New York

A TV, trash can, and a large colorful object.

Rachel Harrison’s (b. 1966) first full-scale survey will track the development of her career over the past twenty-five years, incorporating room-size installations, autonomous sculpture, photography, and drawing. Harrison's complex works—in which readymades collude with invented forms—bring together the breadth of art history, the impurities of politics, and the artifacts of pop and celebrity culture. The exhibition will include approximately one hundred works spanning the early 1990s to the present, drawn from private and public collections throughout the world. 

This exhibition is organized by Elisabeth Sussman, Curator and Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography, and David Joselit, Distinguished Professor, Graduate Center, City University of New York, with Kelly Long, curatorial assistant.

Major support for Rachel Harrison Life Hack is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Whitney’s National Committee.

Generous support is provided by Candy and Michael Barasch and The Morris A. Hazan Family Foundation, Sueyun and Gene Locks, and Susan and Larry Marx.

Significant support is provided by Constance R. Caplan, Fotene Demoulas and Tom Coté, Krystyna Doerfler, The Keith Haring Foundation Exhibition Fund, Ashley Leeds and Christopher Harland, Han Lo, Diane and Adam E. Max, and Chara Schreyer.

Additional support is provided by Eleanor Cayre, Suzanne and Bob Cochran, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Rebecca and Martin Eisenberg, Wilma and Howard Kaye, and Emily Rauh Pulitzer.

Generous exhibition production support is provided by Greene Naftali, New York, with additional support from Regen Projects, Los Angeles.

Warhol Foundation

Videos

Events

A TV, trash can, and a large colorful object.

Audio Guides

Find sound descriptions for select works in Rachel Harrison Life Hack.

Access

Installation Photography

Installation view of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and a doorway blocked by a stanchion.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Front, from left to right: Right Bank, 1993; Hallway Stanchion Set, 2019; Wall, 1994. Back, from left to right: Warren Beatty, 2007; Cindy, 2004; Alexander the Great, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Installation view of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and a doorway blocked by a stanchion.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Dinner, 1991; I Like What’s Nice, c. 1995; Leaktite Luck, 1995. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: 5 × 7’s (A & R Quality Photo, Aurora, Duggal, Emulsion, Foto Print, Image Studio, Pro Photo, R&B Color Labs, US Color, Victoria Photo), 1996; Untitled, c. 1991; Untitled, c. 1992; Green Sock, c. 1991; Untitled, c. 1992; Untitled, 1993. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall
A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Should home windows or shutters be required to withstand a direct hit from an eight-foot-long two-by-four shot from a cannon at 34 miles an hour, without creating a hole big enough to let through a three-inch sphere?, 1996/2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.
A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Should home windows or shutters be required to withstand a direct hit from an eight-foot-long two-by-four shot from a cannon at 34 miles an hour, without creating a hole big enough to let through a three-inch sphere?, 1996/2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.
A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Should home windows or shutters be required to withstand a direct hit from an eight-foot-long two-by-four shot from a cannon at 34 miles an hour, without creating a hole big enough to let through a three-inch sphere?, 1996/2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.
A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Should home windows or shutters be required to withstand a direct hit from an eight-foot-long two-by-four shot from a cannon at 34 miles an hour, without creating a hole big enough to let through a three-inch sphere?, 1996/2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.
A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Should home windows or shutters be required to withstand a direct hit from an eight-foot-long two-by-four shot from a cannon at 34 miles an hour, without creating a hole big enough to let through a three-inch sphere?, 1996/2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with fake wood walls, large photographs, and cans of peas.
The Whitney gallery facing the river with a line of artworks on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: One Box of Floor Tiles, Crosby St., 1994; Voyage of the Beagle, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

The Whitney gallery facing the river with a line of artworks on the wall.
The Whitney gallery facing the river with a line of artworks on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Voyage of the Beagle, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

The Whitney gallery facing the river with a line of artworks on the wall.
A gallery with a line of photos on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Plant/Sock, c. 1994; Voyage of the Beagle, 2007; One Box of Floor Tiles, Crosby St., 1994. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with a line of photos on the wall.
A large photo of wood flooring on a gallery wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Voyage of the Beagle, 2007; One Box of Floor Tiles, Crosby St., 1994. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A large photo of wood flooring on a gallery wall.
A large photo of wood flooring on a gallery wall and a line of smaller photographs.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Voyage of the Beagle, 2007; One Box of Floor Tiles, Crosby St., 1994. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A large photo of wood flooring on a gallery wall and a line of smaller photographs.
Multiple couches in a gallery with a line of small photographs on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Voyage of the Beagle, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Multiple couches in a gallery with a line of small photographs on the wall.
A gallery with photos on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Front: Voyage of the Beagle, 2007. Back, from left to right: Dinner, 1991; I Like What’s Nice, c. 1995; Leaktite Luck, 1995. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with photos on the walls.
An image of a hallway in the Whitney galleries with various photos on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Pedestal Dialog, 1988; Are You Sure It’s the Right Baby, 1993; Are You Sure It’s the Right Baby, 1993; Right Bank, 1993; Hallway Stanchion Set, 2019; Wall, 1994; Lady Marjorie and Mrs. Bridges, 1994; One Box of Floor Tiles, Crosby St., 1994. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of a hallway in the Whitney galleries with various photos on the wall.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Untitled (Poles for a Dangerous Art World), 1992; Four Quartets, 1998; 2 a.m. 2nd Ave., 1996; Oil of Olay, 1997; Jacob’s Arm, 1997; Mind the Gap, 1996. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: 2 a.m. 2nd Ave., 1996; Mind the Gap, 1996; Four Quartets, 1998; Jacob’s Arm, 1997; Oil of Olay, 1997. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Dinner, 1991; I Like What’s Nice, c. 1995; Four Quartets, 1998; Oil of Olay, 1997; Jacob’s Arm, 1997; 2 a.m. 2nd Ave., 1996; Sphinx, 2002; Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Mind the Gap, 1996; 2 a.m. 2nd Ave., 1996; Teaching Bo to Count Backwards, 1996–97; Jacob’s Arm, 1997; Oil of Olay, 1997; Four Quartets, 1998. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Mind the Gap, 1996; Teaching Bo to Count Backwards, 1996–97. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall and a single sculpture.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: The Opening, 2009; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall and a single sculpture.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall and a single sculpture.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2019; The Opening, 2009; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall and a single sculpture.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2018; The Classics, 2017; The Classics, 2018; The Opening, 2009. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Gray or Roan Colt, 2004; Cindy, 2004; Nice Rack, 2006; Valid Like Salad, 2012; 20 × 24” (for CDL), 1999; Untitled, 2012; Brownie, 2005; Hoarders, 2012; Huffy Howler, 2004; Alexander the Great, 2007; Springs, 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Sunset Series, 2000; Cindy, 2004; Valid Like Salad, 2012; Gray or Roan Colt, 2004; Nice Rack, 2006; Alexander the Great, 2007; 20 x 24” (for CDL), 1999; Sphinx, 2002; Springs, 2017; Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Gray or Roan Colt, 2004; Valid Like Salad, 2012; Nice Rack, 2006; 20 x 24” (for CDL), 1999; Alexander the Great, 2007; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Huffy Howler, 2004; Hoarders, 2012; Warren Beatty, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). Front:  Brownie, 2005. Back, left to right: 20 × 24” (for CDL), 1999; Untitled, 2012; Hoarders, 2012; Huffy Howler, 2004. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Warren Beatty, 2007; Alexander the Great, 2007; Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Sphinx, 2002; Brownie, 2005; Untitled, 1999; Dyanu, 1999; Poster, 2009. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Warren Beatty, 2007; Remote, 1999; Alexander the Great, 2007; Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Dyanu, 1999; Poster, 2009; Untitled, 1999; Views of the Garden, 1999; Brownie, 2005. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Sphinx, 2002. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Brownie, 2005; Sunset Series, 2000; Alexander the Great, 2007; Cindy, 2004; Valid Like Salad, 2012. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Huffy Howler, 2004; Nun and Frum, 1996; Warren Beatty, 2007; Sphinx, 2002; Alexander the Great, 2007; Dyanu, 1999; Untitled, 1999; Views of the Garden, 1999; Brownie, 2005; Valid Like Salad, 2012; Sunset Series, 2000. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Nice Rack, 2006; Valid Like Salad, 2012; Hoarders, 2012; Huffy Howler, 2004; Springs, 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Hoarders, 2012; Huffy Howler, 2004; Springs, 2017; Warren Beatty, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
A sculpture made of a bike, pelt, and photograph.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Springs, 2017; Huffy Howler, 2004. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculpture made of a bike, pelt, and photograph.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Sunset Series, 2000; Valid Like Salad, 2012. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Sunset Series, 2000; Gray or Roan Colt, 2004. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Sunset Series, 2000; Nice Rack, 2006; Gray or Roan Colt, 2004; 20 × 24” (for CDL), 1999. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Gray or Roan Colt, 2004; 20 × 24” (for CDL), 1999. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Nun and Frum, 1996; Alexander the Great, 2007; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Sphinx, 2002; Untitled (Poles for a Dangerous Art World), 1992. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Dyanu, 1999; Poster, 2009; Untitled, 1999; Views of the Garden, 1999; Brownie, 2005. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Nun and Frum, 1996; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Untitled from Perth Amboy, 2001; Sphinx, 2002. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Nice Rack, 2006; Cindy, 2004; Hoarders, 2012; Huffy Howler, 2004; Springs, 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Sphinx, 2002; Untitled, 1999; Dyanu, 1999. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various artworks on the wall.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Dyanu, 1999; Alexander the Great, 2007; Untitled, 1999; Views of the Garden, 1999; Brownie, 2005. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Untitled, 2012; Siren Serenade, 2010; Marat/Sod, 2008. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Untitled, 2011; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2012; Untitled, 2011; Untitled, 2012. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures and artworks on the walls.
A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Life on Mars, 2017; All in the Family, 2012; Travis Gregory, 2016; Marjorie, 2015; Caller ID, 2014; Panama Papers, 2016; Al Gore, 2007; I’m with Stupid, 2007; Lazy Hardware, 2012; Sculpture with Hot Sauce, 2018; Vampire Wannabes, 2010; Day’s Grape, 2002. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.
A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Kouros Descends Stairs, 2008; The Separation Of, 2017; Caller ID, 2014; Needle, 2006; Duck’s Legs and Carrots, 2006; Vampire Wannabes, 2010; Al Gore, 2007; All in the Family, 2012; Siren Serenade, 2010; Travis Gregory, 2016; Lazy Hardware, 2012; I’m with Stupid, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.
A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Life on Mars, 2017; Kouros Descends Stairs, 2008; Caller ID, 2004; Needle, 2006; Duck’s Legs and Carrots, 2006; Vampire Wannabes, 2010; All in the Family, 2012; Al Gore, 2007; Travis Gregory, 2016; Day’s Grape, 2002; Lazy Hardware, 2012; I’m with Stupid, 2007; The Opening, 2009. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.
An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Marat/Sod, 2008; The Help, 2012; Kouros Descends Stairs, 2008; Siren Serenade, 2010. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

An image of the Whitney galleries with various sculptures.
A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Day’s Grape, 2002; HOJOTOHO, 2012; Vampire Wannabes, 2010; Sculpture with Hot Sauce, 2018; Duck’s Legs and Carrots, 2006; Al Gore, 2007; Travis Gregory, 2016; The Separation Of, 2017; Caller ID, 2014; Needle, 2006; The Classics, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A ring of chairs surround various sculptures in a gallery.
A sculptural detail.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Duck’s Legs and Carrots, 2006; The Separation Of, 2017; Caller ID, 2014; All in the Family, 2012. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail.
A sculptural detail.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Vampire Wannabes, 2010; Day’s Grape, 2002; Duck’s Legs and Carrots, 2006; Sculpture with Hot Sauce, 2018; Lazy Hardware, 2012; Al Gore, 2007. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail.
A sculptural detail.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: I’m with Stupid, 2007; Panama Papers, 2016; Needle, 2006; All in the Family, 2012; The Classics, 2019; The Classics, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail.
A sculptural detail.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: HOJOTOHO, 2012; Sculpture with Hot Sauce, 2018; Al Gore, 2007; Vampire Wannabes, 2010. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail.
A sculptural detail.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Al Gore, 2007; Lazy Hardware, 2012; Sculpture with Hot Sauce, 2018; Vampire Wannabes, 2010; Day’s Grape, 2002. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail.
A sculptural detail featuring a small mannequin with a rabbit mask.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Panama Papers, 2016; Al Gore, 2007; I’m with Stupid, 2007; Lazy Hardware, 2012; Day’s Grape, 2002. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculptural detail featuring a small mannequin with a rabbit mask.
A sculpture with a black satellite dish, a black blob, and an orange caution cone.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Marat/Sod, 2008; The Help, 2012; Siren Serenade, 2010. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A sculpture with a black satellite dish, a black blob, and an orange caution cone.
Two abstract sculptures in a gallery.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). From left to right: Life on Mars, 2017; Kouros Descends Stairs, 2008. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Two abstract sculptures in a gallery.
A gallery with a single sculpture made of a rug, a mop, and a stick tied to the ceiling with string.

Installation view of Rachel Harrison Life Hack (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2019–January 12, 2020). FullHD, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

A gallery with a single sculpture made of a rug, a mop, and a stick tied to the ceiling with string.

Exhibition Catalogue

This publication, the first comprehensive monograph on Harrison in nearly a decade, centers on an in-depth plate section that doubles as a chronology of her major works, series, and exhibitions. The book also includes six accompanying essays, covering Harrison’s earliest works to her most recent output, and a handful of photo-collages that the artist created specifically for this project, published here for the first time.

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In the News

"Brainy, funny, eye-catching, and compellingly strange, the sculptures and installations of the New York-based mid-career artist Rachel Harrison are some of the most influential American art works of the past quarter century." —The New Yorker

"In undoing expectations of what art should look like, of how it should tidy up the world, the work eats through definitions of art and non-art like a rat burrowing through museum insulation. There is plenty of humor here, but the laughter is dark." —The Washington Post

"While countless artists today take up the legacy of assemblage, few do it with as much panache as Rachel Harrison." —Art in America

"The artist’s first museum survey and its catalogue will present twenty-five years of her sculptures, installations, drawings, and photographs, taking stock of how and why her gloriously unsettling and invigorating work works." —Artforum

"The New York artist’s tipsy combos of household hardware, distressed furniture and cement-coated Styrofoam lumps add up to a kind of post-Costco Surrealism. Its character is goofy, sinister, and complex. She’s major." —The New York Times

"Incorporating diverse materials—sneakers, ropes, jars—her sculptures are puzzles; her first full-career survey, featuring some 100 works, will offer lots to ponder." —ArtNews

"Rachel Harrison Life Hack is less a staid representation of her masterpieces and more an audacious, rambunctious artwork all in itself." —Interview Magazine

"Famous for humorous, electric-colored mashups that draw deeply on pop culture, Harrison creates a complex language that’s singularly her own." —Cultured

"Harrison's complex works—in which readymades collude with invented forms—bring together the breadth of art history, the impurities of politics, and the artifacts of pop and celebrity culture." —ArtDependence Magazine

"Harrison encourages us all to become avid hoarders, glimpsers of random moments and strange possibilities." —Garage

"Rachel Harrison’s midcareer survey at the Whitney Museum includes pieces that defy description. You feel things will come clear if you just hang out longer. And people do." —The New York Times

"As a sculptor, Harrison is playful, tough, funny, a visually promiscuous found-object maven whose aesthetic is rooted in the double-take." —Los Angeles Review of Books

In the Whitney’s Collection
8 works

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Rachel Harrison
Untitled
2012

Rachel Harrison
Voyage of the Beagle, Two
2008

Rachel Harrison
Claude Levi-Strauss
2007

Rachel Harrison
Untitled (Perth Amboy)
2001

Rachel Harrison
Untitled (Perth Amboy)
2001

Rachel Harrison
5 x 7’s (A&R Quality Photo, Aurora, Duggal, Emulsion, Foto Print, Image Studio, Pro Photo, R&B Color Labs, US Color, Victoria Photo)
1996

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