RACHEL HARRISON

Harrison’s practice encompasses sculpture, photography, drawing, and video. It has been the subject of major solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Harrison’s work is recognised for its wit, critical engagement with art history, and ability to unsettle distinctions between high and low culture.

Early Years

Born in New York City in 1966, Harrison grew up in a family of Polish and Russian Jewish descent. She attended Wesleyan University, initially majoring in anthropology before switching to fine art, where she studied under sculptor Jeffrey Schiff and composer Alvin Lucier.

Rachel Harrison Artworks

Harrison’s contemporary art practice is defined by her use of handmade forms combined with found objects, photographs, and commercial materials. Her sculptures often tempt recognition yet remain ambiguous—what she describes as ‘forms that can’t be described’. Harrison’s works draw from and play with movements such as Neo-Dada, Pop, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art while maintaining a singular vision.

Assemblage and Appropriation

Since the early 1990s, Harrison has developed a distinctive sculptural language that incorporates polystyrene, cement, rope, household tools, and vivid paint. Works such as Untitled (Poles for a Dangerous Art World) (1992) and Sculpture with Boots (2017) exemplify her approach, embedding familiar images and objects within roguish assemblages. Her use of celebrity imagery and commercial products is often described as ‘appropriation’—not simply taking but acknowledging the shifting meanings of objects in contemporary culture.

Framing and Display

Harrison’s objects frequently act as framing devices, inviting viewers to consider how meaning is constructed through context and display. Her installations encourage movement and multiple perspectives, with each encounter prompting new associations and interpretations. The 2019—20 Whitney Museum survey, “Rachel Harrison: Life Hack,” highlighted her prescient examination of art, pop, and political landscapes.

Public Commissions

• Voyage of the Beagle, 2007, public installation, New York
• The English Garden, 2018, Metropolitan Opera House, New York (mural)

Awards and Accolades

• Represented the United States at the Venice Biennale (2003, 2009)
• Included in the Whitney Biennial (2002, 2008)
• Work held in major museum collections, including The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; and Tate Modern, London.

Exhibitions

Rachel Harrison has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions at important institutions.

Solo Exhibitions

• The Friedmann Equations, Greene Naftali, New York (2025).
• Rachel Harrison Life Hack, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2019—20)2
• Perth Amboy, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2016)
• Rachel Harrison: Sitting in a Room, Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo (2022—23)
• The Classics, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (2015)
• Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover (2013)
• S.M.A.K., Ghent (2013)
• Whitechapel Gallery, London (2010)
• Portikus, Frankfurt (2009—10)
• CCS Bard, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (2009)

Group Exhibitions

• Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2024)
• Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (2020)
• Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Montreal (2020)
• Yorkshire Sculpture International, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds (2019)
• Getty Villa, Los Angeles (2018)
• The Met Breuer, New York (2018)
• Le Consortium, Dijon (2018)
• Aspen Art Museum, Aspen (2018)
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (2017)
• Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson (2016)
• Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2016)
• Museum Brandhorst, Munich (2015)
• mumok, Vienna (2015)

Rachel Harrison FAQs

Ocula | 2025