Table Of Content,
WHITNEYMagazine
oftheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt
Vol. 1,No.2Spring1997
©1997
WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt
945MadisonAvenue
NewYork,NY10021-2790
WHITNEY Magazineispublished
quarterlybytheWhitneyMuseum
ofAmericanArtforitsmembers.
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ChrisBurden,PizzaCity, 1996.
Mixedmedia.MAK,AustrianMuseum
ofAppliedArts,Vienna
KristinLucas,CableXcess, 1996.
Videostill.Courtesyoftheartist
BackCoverDetail
DianaThater,ElectricMind, 1996.
Mixedmedia.CourtesyofDavid
Zwirner,NewYork
OpeningSequenceDetails(L-R)
CyTwombly,LepantoI,fromthe a
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LanlPittman,OnceLeftforDead,
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AlexanderCj^V,Pomegranate
FROM THE DIRECTOR
With the opening of our 1997 Biennial Exhibition, the current issue of Whitney
celebrates more than six decades ofWhitneyAnnual and Biennial survey exhi-
bitions. A special "1997 Biennial Guide" considers the context of the 69th
installmentinthishistoric seriesandoffersfascinating glimpses ofthe process
by which the exhibition was organized, featuring interviews with co-curators
Lisa Phillips and Louise Neri as well as selected American artists from three
generations. We are honored that Beck's Beer has chosen to launch its U.S.
arts sponsorship program with the 1997 Biennial.
Members will have many opportunities to enjoya privileged viewing experi-
ence ofthe 1997 Biennial, with members receptions during the opening week
of the exhibition; numerous educational programs, such as The Biennial:
An Insider's Look, for which members receive generous discounts and priority
registration privileges; and a festive members-only Friday Evening at the
Whitney: 1997Biennialin May. (Forfurtherinformation, please referto page 7,
orcallourMembersHotlineat570-3641, orvisitourwebsiteathttp://www.echo
nyc.com/~whitney.)
TherehasneverbeenamoreexcitingtimetobeaWhitneymember!The 1997
Biennialwill befollowed byfourextraordinaryexhibitions onviewatthe Museum
this summer: "Keith Haring: A Retrospective," "Frank Lloyd Wright: Designs for
an American Landscape," "Sound Boxes," and "Views from Abroad European
:
PerspectivesonAmericanArt3."Thisfall, inadditiontomajorexhibitionsofthe
works of Richard Diebenkorn, Bob Thompson, and Andy Warhol, the Whitney
will open new galleries devoted to its Permanent Collection for the firsttime in
the Museum's history, showcasing masterpieces from the Whitney's world-
renowned collection of twentieth-century American art. As a member, you will
be an important part of all these events, through your participation and your
support of the ground-breaking exhibitions and programs presented by this
unique institution.
The Trustees and staff ofthe Whitney Museum join me in welcoming you to
the 1997 Biennial Exhibition. I hope you, your family, and friends will visit the
Museum often during the coming months—to
look, to think, to react, to evaluate, to enjoy.
Ilookforwardtoseeingyouinthegalleries, and,
as always, I'll be happy to respond to any ques-
tionsor suggestionsyoucareto sendmyway.
DavidA. Ross DavidA.Rosswith
Alice PrattBrown Director LaurieAndersonandLouReed
attheopeningof'NanGoldin:
I'llBeYourMirror"
The 69th edition of the Whitney's signature Biennial exhibitions—inaugurated in 19'
the Museum's founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney—provides an extensive overview of
the cutting edge in American art created since 1995 and a vital forum for viewing,
evaluating, and discussing current American art. A total of more than 200 selections
by 70 artists—paintings, sculptures, drawings, film and video works, photographs,
—
installations, printed media, dance, performance, and sound works are on view
throughout the Museum, most for the first time in the United States.
The 1997 Biennial Exhibition is co-curated by Lisa Phillips, who has been a Whitney
curator since 1984, and Louise Neri, the U.S. editor of the international art journal
Parkett and a curator of contemporary art. Over the last two years, Phillips and
Neri reviewed thousands of slides and visited nearly 500 studios, traveling across the
United States and to Europe and Brazil.
Represented artists range in age from 22 to 85. Though the balance of the artists are
young, new works by well-known artists, such as Louise Bourgeois, Francesco Clemente,
Bruce Conner, Tony Oursler, and Ed Ruscha, are also featured. The participation of a
—
number of foreign-born artists working in America from Chile, Mexico, India, Italy,
Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Russia, and the United Kingdom—acknowledges the diversity of
American art, as well as the shifting definition of American nationalism.
KristinLucas. For the first time, the principal curators of a Biennial
CaWeXcess. 1996.
Videostill.Courtesy also have organized the film and video segment of the exhi-
oftheartist
bition. Selections include installations and audio and video
stations located on each floor of the Museum, as well as an
r ^ extended program of film and video works to be screened
8~t^f»n
in the Film and Video Gallery on the Ca,al0*ue: 1997
byLisaPhillipsandLouiseNeri.
Second Floor. (See enclosed Calen- 208Pages. iso.nustrat.ons.
62incolor.DistributedbyHarry
dar for schedule.) N.Abrams,Inc.Paper$35
Theexhibitionissponsoredi , •iH'tIn-
significantsupporthasalsobeenprovidedthroughanendowmentestablishedbyEmilyFisherLandau
SupportforeducationalprogramsrelatedtotheexhibitionhasbeenprovidedbytheNewYorkStateCouncilontheArts.Additionalfunds
fortheexhibitionhavebeenprovidedbyAustrianAirlinesandtheNationalCommitteeoftheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt.
Timeline
Formorethan sixdecades, theWhitneyMuseum'sseriesofsurveyexhibitionshas served
asa premiershowcasefortheachievementsofmodernAmerican artists,presentinga
wide scopeofnewartformsandreflectingtheinnovative, pluralisticcharacterofAmerican
artduringthetwentiethcentury. Dedicatedtotheartofitsowntime, theWhitneyMuseum
remainscommittedtoitsoriginalmissionto supportandchampionlivingAmericanartists.
Allofthefollowingworks, nowintheMuseum'sPermanentCollection,wereacquiredat
thetimeoftheirexhibitionin aWhitneyAnnualorBiennial.
The co-curators ofthe 69th Whitney In conversation, thetwo easilydefer
H
Biennial are a study in contrasts. to each other, picking up and embroi-
Lisa Phillips, a curatoratthe Museum y I dering on ideas and observations.
since 1984, is low-keyand serenely There's a relaxed camaraderie,
M
composed. Louise Neri, U.S. editor perhaps because a certain courtship
ofthe international artjournal Parkett LisaPhillips LouiseNeri preceded the nuts-and-bolts business
since 1990, is intense and animated, given to bursts of selectingtheworks. As Neri puts it, "We found
of passionate analysis. But on the focus oftheforth- out quite a bitabouteach other's perspectives before
coming exhibition, they are in complete accord. wetried tofind a common ground in art."
"We agreed veryearly on that neitherofuswanted to Thechoice ofNeri led manytowonderifthis Biennial
do a sampler-style survey," says Phillips. "We realized would include contributionsfrom otherpartsofthe
A Curatorial Dialogue thatat leastfive reallyengaging shows could come globe. Thetwodecided earlyonto limittheirresearch
out ofour research, and this is one ofthem." toartists living andworking inthefifty states. However,
When Phillips, who has been part offive curatorial withinthis parametertheyreveal a rich and suprising
teams for previous Biennials, was asked more than cultural diversity. When pressed onthetheme, Neri
two years ago by director David A. Ross to organize responds, "We usetheword 'motivations' ratherthan
this one, she chose Louise Neri to work with her: 'theme' becausewe've reallytriedto approachthe show
"I wanted to have a dialogue with someone else out- from a pointofviewofthe artists' motivations. But
side the Museum with a different perspective on there's onethingthatcharacterizes alltheworks inthe
American art." The foreign-born Neri, who worked in showand that's a certain intensity, the intensitythat
Australia and Europe before coming to the U.S. and comeswith artists constructing their own worlds."
who still spends much of her time abroad, brings to Several strains can be plucked from these rather
the task an extensive knowledge of developments broad concepts, however; Phillips identifies them as
in contemporaryart as well as an outsider's perspec- "personal cosmologies, the impulse to tell stories,
tive. "We talked a lot about the concept of inside and the surreal ofthe everyday." Among otherthings,
and outside-aboutthe idea of being inside and the curators noticed artists' fascination with surveil-
outside the institution," she says, "and the artist's lance. "Butwe took itone step further, focusing on
constructed interior world and how this intersects artists who are actually constructing fictive surveil-
with shared external realities." lance situations," Neri says. One example is thework
(continuedonpage15)
1930S
TheWhitneyMuseum'sinvitationalexhibition Beginningin1937,theWhitneyMuseumheldtwoannualexhibitions,featur-
nnials Past
program,inauguratedin 1932(theyearafter ingpaintinginthefall,andsculptureandothermediainthespring.Abar-
theMuseumopened),maintainedthespiritof ometerofcontemporaryartstyles,theAnnualstracedtheemergenceof
thenon-juriedannualsurveysattheWhitney abstractioninAmericanartofthemid-1930s.ArshileGorky'suseofinter-
StudioClub(1918-1928)thathighlightedthe lockingorganicelementscreat-
workofitsmembers.Documentingconsistent edabridgebetweentheCubist
supportoftheRealisttraditioninAmerican WQ andSurrealiststylesofEuro-
art,theMuseum'ssurveyexhibitionsbecame peanmodernismandAmerican
aregulareventformanyAmericanartists, AbstractExpressionism.
includingRaphaelSoyer,whosethirty-eight
RaphaelSoyer.Of/iceGirls, 1936. appearancesmakehimarecordholder.' ArshileGorky.Painting,
Oiloncanvas (ThirdBiennial 1936-37.0iloncanvas.
Exhibition. 1936) 1BotaiwtlwMonMOqrurcMtaI«a•*n•»a.MffMtrtoc,aInltfAmtu*i»Ai»ftoinnwuff»iiM»trfninoni«fifc«x>ord (1937Annual)
'.. r, Had- <I SoundVowPrtlt,
Biennial Events and Programs
MembersOpeningEvents SeminarswithArtists: 1997 Biennial
Previewforallmembers Thursdays, March20-Apnl 24 6:15-7:30pm
Wednesday, March 19 2-5 pm Forthefirsttime,thesepopularseriesofinformal seminars
PleasepresentyourMembershipcardforentry. willfeatureartistsfromthe 1997 Biennial.
Weexpectthispreviewtooffermembersa particularly March 20: PaulMcCarthy
goodviewingexperience. March 27:VijaCelmins
April 3: CeciliaVicuna
PreviewReceptionwiththeartistsforWhitneyFellows
April 10: CherylDunye
andWhitneyCircle members
April 17: GabrielOrozco
Wednesday, March 19 7-9pm
April 24: RichardPrince
OpeningReceptionforWhitneyFellows, Series admission: $100; members, seniorcitizens,
WhitneyCirclemembers, PatronsandFriends
and studentswith currentID $70. Individual sessions:
Wednesday, March 19 9-midnight
$17.50; members, senior citizens, and students
ReceptionforContributors, Members,Artist withcurrentID $12.50.
andStudentmembers
Friday, March 21 7-11 pm ConversationonArt: ChrisBurdenand DavidA. Ross
DavidA. Ross, AlicePrattBrownDirector,Whitney
Biennial Programs Museum,willdiscusscontemporaryartandculturewith
WhitneyMembersreceivepriorityenrollmentandvery artistChrisBurden, whoseprovocativeworkPizzaCity
generousdiscountsonall Public Programs. Pre-registration isfeaturedinthe 1997 Biennial.
isrequired.Toregisterbymailorfax, pleasecompletethe Tuesday,April8 7pm
Members ProgramsRegistration Formon page 11. Ifyouare Admission: $8; members, seniorcitizens, andstudents
registeringwithyourcreditcard,you mayfaxtheformto withcurrentID $6.
(212)570-7711 orcalltheEducationDepartmentat(212)
570-7710. ForupdatedinformationonallPublicPrograms, Lecture:What'sNew?MakingSenseofArtinthe 1990s
pleasecallthePublicProgramsHotlineat(212)570-7722. Tuesday,April 29 11 am-12:30pm
WhitneyFellowsandWhitneyCirclemembers, please Johanna Drucker, associate professor ofart history,
note:AllConversationsonArtand Symposiaarefreeto YaleUniversity, examinesthediversityofcontemporaryart,
WhitneyFellowsandCirclemembers.WhitneyFellowsmay providinginsightintohowtounderstandtheprocesses,
alsoattendcoursesfree.Thereisalimitoftwoticketsper issues, andstrategiesusedbyartiststoday.
membershipand reservationsmustbemadeatleastone Admission: $15; members, seniorcitizens, andstudents
weekinadvanceforalltheseevents. withcurrentID $10.
TheBiennial: An Insider'sLook Special Performances
SessionI: Tuesdays,March25,April 1,8, 15, 11am-12:15pm WilliamForsythe"Solo"
SessionII:Wednesdays,March26,April2,9, 16,6:15-7:30pm CeciliaVicuna
The Biennialisthe mosttalked-aboutexhibitioninNewYork. March29, 30, 31
Exploretheexhibitionfloorbyfloorwith aWhitneylecturer AmandaMiller"Paralipomena"
inthisfour-partcoursewhentheMuseum isclosedtothe TonyOursler, ConstanceDeJong, andStephenVitello"Pink"
generalpublic.Thefinal sessionwill beledbya 1997Biennial May9, 10, 11
artist. Limitedenrollmenttoencouragefullparticipation.
Thesespecial performances,featuring 1997Biennialartists,
Seriesadmission: $90; members, seniorcitizens, and willbe heldatthePerformingGarage. Forfurtherinformation
studentswithcurrentID $60. andfortickets,call(212)570-7722.
6 7
For Members Only
Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
and Socrates Sculpture Pari1
Thursday, May 22 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Join us aswe explorethe Isamu Noguchi Garden
Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park onthisday-long
visitto Long Island City, Queens. Located onthe studio
site ofworld-renownedAmerican-Japanese sculptor
Isamu Noguchi, the museumcomprisesa sensational
installationofmorethan 300workscreated bythe
artistand is housed in aconvertedfactorybuilding
encircled bya sculpture garden. Sculptures in stone,
NoguchiGard clay, andwood; elements ofdance sets designedfor
Museum,LongIslai choreographerMarthaGraham; and Noguchi'sfamous
r\ a r\ II City,NewYc
Great American Collections: "Akari" lightsculptures areall discussed duringour
privatetour. Following lunchatan historic localtavern,
The Barnes Foundation
we continue onto nearbySocrates Sculpture Park.
Thursday, April 10 9:30 am-7:30 pm Site-specific installationsonfive acresoverlooking
By popular demand, we are offering anothertripto the EastRiverinclude recentsculptures byMagdalena
the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, part Abakanowicz, Markdi Suvero, Jackie Ferrara, and
ofour continuing series celebrating greatAmerican Tom Otterness, amongothers. Fee(includestrans-
collections. Established byDr. AlbertC. Barnesin 1922, portation, admissions, and lunch): $55.
the Barnes Foundation houses one ofthe finest
private collections ofearly French modern and Post-
Storm King Art Center
Impressionist paintings in the world. In additionto
an extraordinary number of paintings by Cezanne, Saturday, June 7 9:30am-5pm
Matisse, and Renoir, majorworks by Monetand Storm KingArtCenter, located in Mountainville, New
Picasso are displayed among Old Master paintings, York, isAmerica's leadingoutdoor sculpture museum,
African sculpture, American art, and antiquefurniture. featuring aremarkablecollectionofpost-1945 sculp-
The Foundation reopened inthe spring of 1996, ture sited on 400 acres of lawns, terraces, fields,
following an extensivethree-year renovation, during and woodlands. Against a dramatic Hudson River
whichtime 80 paintingsfrom the collectiontraveled landscape, morethan 120sculpturesarepresented,
on a record-breakingworldwide tour. Members includingworksbyLouiseBourgeois, AlexanderCalder,
enjoyan introductiontoDr. Barnes'collection during Barbara Hepworth, HenryMoore, LouiseNevelson,
a private luncheon atone of Philadelphia's Main Line Richard Serra, andDavidSmith. Celebratingthe 30th
restaurants. A leisurelyviewing ofthe collection anniversaryofitsextensivecollectionofmasteiworks
follows, with time for exploring the Foundation's bySmith, "TheFieldsofDavid Smith" istheCenter's
12-acre arboretum. Fee (includes transportation, special exhibitionthisyear, onviewbothoutdoorsand
admission, lunch, and refreshments): $95. intheFrenchNorman-style museum. Membersenjoy
guided tours and a picnic lunch, with freetimefor
independent exploration ofthe sculpture park and
museum. Fee (includestransportation, admission,
and a picnic lunch): $55; members' children $35.
8 9
