Collection

Description

The MCA’s permanent collection includes more than 2,500 artworks that span media and movements from the 1920s to the present. Although not on permanent display, works from the collection appear regularly in our many rotating exhibitions. The entire collection, with images and descriptions, is presented here for the first time. Explore it by artist, title, or creation date. Images in this section are published for educational use under the umbrella of the Fair Use doctrine.

Artist last name index

Title index

Decade index

A primarily beige-looking canvas is actually composed of many small dots of light blues, pinks, oranges, and purples.

...Pindell has said, “in graduate school I remember that a woman artist would be criticized if she used pink. If a man used pink it was considered a mix of red and white… . When I noticed this, I started using the things that I was told not to use. Glitter. Pink. This was my way of resisting.”

Short A primarily beige-looking canvas is actually composed of many small dots of light blues, pinks, oranges, and purples.

Works on View

On viewBani Abidi, A Table Wide Country (small cluster), 2012
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On viewTerry Adkins, Omohundro, 2002
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On viewTerry Adkins, Untitled, 2002
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On viewEtel Adnan, Untitled, 1988
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On viewMichael Armitage, The Flaying of Marsyas, 2017
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On viewJean Arp, Torso, 1931
1. Short A shiny bronze abstracted torso balances on a rectangular pedestal of equal size.
On viewFrancis Bacon, Study for a Portrait, 1949
On viewEnrico Baj, Punching General, 1969
On viewYto Barrada, Palissade de chantier (Building Site Wall), 2009/2011
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On viewYto Barrada, Jeune fille en rouge – En jouant aux osselets (Girl in red, Tangier), 1999
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On viewHans Bellmer, La Toupie (The Top), 1938/1968
1. Short This sculpture is composed of differently sized, disembodied breasts stacked atop one another and that seem to squeeze out of a clear pedestal, like bubbles.
On viewForrest Bess, Wheatfield, c. 1951
On viewForrest Bess, Seascape with Sun, 1947
On viewJoseph Beuys, Filzanzug (Felt Suit), 1970
On viewSanford Biggers, Quilt 24, 2013
On viewLee Bontecou, Untitled, 1990–2000
On viewMary Brogger, Earthwork, 2000
On viewRoger Brown, Autobiography in the Shape of Alabama (Mammy's Door), 1974
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On viewAlexander Calder, Bird, c. 1952
1. Short A bird sculpture with wings extended appears to be made out of found materials like a soup can and rusted wire.
On viewSophie Calle, The Striptease, 1988
1. Short A black-and-white photograph of a wall label and a photograph of a topless woman on stage with an audience and a tarp-like backdrop are hung next to each other on a white wall.
On viewNick Cave, Objects of Desire: Party Favors, 2000
1. Short A conical sculpture with three round humps at the widest end lies on its side. The middle of the object is brown and smooth, and both ends are covered with tiny spherical beads: black on the narrow end and red, white, and black on the wide end.
On viewMarc Camille Chaimowicz, A Partial Grammar..., 1984–2008
1. Short A black platform the size of a bed holds a colorful rug and nine colorful pillows of various sizes.
On viewJudy Chicago, Sky Sun from the Flesh Gardens series, 1971
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On viewChristo (Christo Javacheff), Orange Store Front, 1964–65
1. Short A strange, vivid orange structure looks like the wooden storefront, including a door and display window. The windows are mostly covered by white sheets.
On viewLarry Clark, Untitled, 1963
On viewWillie Cole, Hybrid Casco/G.E., 1992
On viewDIS, Apology, 2016
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On viewNiki De Saint Phalle, Vivian, 1965
On viewJimmy DeSana, Cowboy Boots, 1984
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On viewJonas Dovydenas, Dance Class, Buddhist Temple of Chicago, West Leland Avenue, 1977
On viewJonas Dovydenas, Disciples of Jesus Christ Revival Crusade, East 43rd Street, 1977
On viewJonas Dovydenas, Family History Quilt Made by Katy Gregory, 1977
On viewJonas Dovydenas, Kevin Henry at the Annual Midwest Fleadh Cheoil Music Competition, Bogan High School, 1977
On viewJonas Dovydenas, Lefty Dizz at the Checkerboard Lounge, East 43rd Street, 1977
On viewJonas Dovydenas, Wedding Reception of Emilija and Romas Sakodolskis, Pakstas Hall, West 38th Street, 1977
On viewJean Dubuffet, La Verrue sous le nez (Wart Under the Nose), 1951
1. Short A very loosely rendered portrait implies the shoulders and head of a person wearing a hat. There are no discerning features other than ears, eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
On viewMarlene Dumas, The Trophy, 2013
On viewCarroll Dunham, Yellow Planet, 1996
On viewJimmie Durham, In a Cabin in the Woods, 2010
1. Short A long, brown wool trench coat is crowned by a panel of cherry wood in place of a wearer's neck and head. The eye of an animal peeks through the open chest of the coat.
On viewMelvin Edwards, Off and Gone, 1992
On viewMax Ernst, Red Owl, 1952
On viewFred Eversley, Untitled (parabolic lens), 1974
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On viewMonir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Group 4 [Convertible Series], 2010
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On viewJackie Ferrara, Stacked Pyramid, 1972
On viewRafael Ferrer, A Flag for the Straits of Magellan, 1972
1. Short A roughly equilateral fabric triangle hangs on a gallery wall with one of its points touching the floor. The black triangle has many splotches of rich blue and is affixed with what appear to be crumpled strips of brown cardboard.
On viewDan Flavin, alternate diagonals of March 2, 1964 (to Don Judd), 1964
On viewBuckminster Fuller, Inventions: Twelve Around One, 1981
On viewBuckminster Fuller, Inventions: Twelve Around One, 1981
1. Short What appears to be an architectural blueprint displays various angles and types of a circular, multifaceted geometric form.
On viewBuckminster Fuller, Inventions: Twelve Around One, 1981
1. Short A bald man wearing glasses and a suit and tie occupies the lower left quarter of this two-tone photograph. He holds a hollow, cage-like ovoid constructed from thin white sticks.
On viewGünther Förg, E.U.R. Palazzo della Civilta, 1985
On viewVanessa German, No Springs – Honest Weight, 2018
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On viewLeon Golub, Reclining Youth, 1959
1. Short Desaturated colors of paint vaguely articulate a human form reclining.
2. Long In a muddled scene of faded gray, blue, and pink colors, a human form is vaguely defined by a more precise application of color and darker marks. The person reclines against one hand, their legs extending in the other direction.
On viewFelix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (The End), 1990
1. Short A rectangular column of white paper with a black border rests on a concrete floor in a neat stack that is nearly as tall as the paper is wide.
On viewMatthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Forward Gaze, 2018
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On viewDavid Hartt, Awards Room at the Johnson Publishing Company headquarters, Chicago, Illinois, 2011
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On viewDavid Hartt, Stray Light, 2011
On viewMona Hatoum, So much I want to say, 1983
On viewPablo Helguera, Everybody said it was gorgeous from The Arlington Heights series, 2004/05
On viewPablo Helguera, The reason for this is not difficult to understand from The Arlington Heights series, 2004/05
On viewPablo Helguera, The reason was simple and very practical and forward-looking from The Arlington Heights series, 2004/05
On viewJene Highstein, Floating World, 1986
1. Short Photograph of a person-sized rounded outdoor sculpture made of grey, textured stone
On viewJenny Holzer, Truisms, 1983
1. Short A rectangular LED display resting on a thin shelf reads "GET WEAK" in a light teal font.
On viewRichard Hunt, Small Hybrid, 1964
1. Short An amorphous bronze sculpture with curved flanges mounted on a short, square pedestal
On viewArthur Jafa, Monster, 1988
1. Short A black-and-white portrait photo shows a young dark-skinned man holding a large camera at his chest, as if taking a self-portrait in a mirror.The image is surrounded by a large white mat and a thin black frame.
2. Long The subject's head is lowered, looking up at the viewer at such an angle that his expression could be read as ominous or threatening. He wears a long-sleeved button-down shirt and has long, tightly coiled hair. The background behind him fades from black at the bottom of the photo to a lighter gray at the top.
On viewIsaac Julien, Untitled (Three), 1999
On viewMike Kelley, Low Definition Presidency, 1993
On viewKaren Kilimnik, Gia (Her Majesty's Secret Service), 1994
On viewBodys Isek Kingelez, Palais d'Ihunga (Chicodi Stars), 1992
On viewFranz Kline, Vawdavitch, 1955
On viewJannis Kounellis, La Rosa, 1968
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On viewWifredo Lam, Annunciation, 1944
On viewElad Lassry, Purple Hats, 2011
On viewDeana Lawson, Sons of Cush, 2016
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On viewSol LeWitt, I II III IIII, 1974
On viewSol LeWitt, Four Basic Kinds of Lines and Colour, 1971
On viewJudy Ledgerwood, Sailors See Green, 2013
1. Short An irregular zigzagging grid of thick silver brushstrokes overlaps three broad planes of color, vertically stacked from top to bottom: light pink-purple, tangerine orange, and teal.
On viewTony Lewis, roc an r, 2014
On viewGlenn Ligon, Untitled (Study #1 for Prisoner of Love), 1992
1. Short Black stenciled text that reads "WE ARE THE INK THAT GIVES THE WHITE PAGE A MEANING" repeats for twenty-nine lines, gradually becoming distorted until it's almost illegible at the bottom.
On viewRichard Long, Fire Rock Circle, 1987
On viewKim MacConnel, Taco Bill, 1979
On viewRené Magritte, Les merveilles de la nature (The Wonders of Nature), 1953
1. Short Two mossy stone figures with human legs and fish torsos sit leaning against each other on a mossy stone by the seashore. On the horizon the shape of a double-masted sailing vessel made out of water rises out of the sea and cuts into the blue, cloud-filled sky.
On viewBrice Marden, 8, 1987–88
On viewNoé Martínez, Las cosas vividas antes de nacer (The Lived Things Before Being Born), 2017
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On viewMatta (Roberto Matta Echaurren), Conference, 1957
On viewMatta (Roberto Matta Echaurren), A Grave Situation, 1946
On viewGordon Matta-Clark, Circus or The Caribbean Orange, 1978
On viewRodney McMillian, Carpet Painting (Bedroom and TV Room), 2012
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On viewAna Mendieta, Untitled: Silueta Series, Mexico, 1973/1991
1. Short A person lays down in a stone-lined grave with flowers covering their body.
On viewAna Mendieta, Untitled: Silueta Series, Mexico, 1976/1991
1. Short In a dark, nighttime scene, firework sparklers burn in the shape of a human with their hands held upward.
On viewRichard Misrach, Tennis Courts and Pyramids, Giza, Egypt, 1989/1995
1. Short Rectangular photograph of a low cityscape against a light blue sky, a green field in the middle ground, and a clay tennis ground in the foreground.
On viewRobert Morris, Portal, 1964
1. Short A large white sculpture made of two columns connected at the top is the size and shape of a doorway and looks big enough to walk through.
On viewWangechi Mutu, That's my death mask you're wearing, 2004
On viewBruce Nauman, Bound to Fail (from the portfolio Eleven Color Photographs), 1966–67/1970/2007
1. Short A person wearing a thick orange sweater is shown from behind. Their arms are bound haphazardly to their torso with rope.
On viewSenga Nengudi, R.S.V.P. Fall 1976, 1976/2017
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On viewGladys Nilsson, Reclyning Blackveenus Rabbit, 1971
On viewCady Noland, Chainsaw Cut Cowboy Head, 1990
On viewJim Nutt, Summer Salt, 1970
On viewWilliam J. O'Brien, Untitled, 2008
1. Short A sculpture resembling an irregular trellis leans against a white wall. The sculpture is covered in string or yarn in shades of green, blue, white, red, and orange, as if encased in colorful spiderwebs.
On viewCatherine Opie, Untitled 13 (Chicago) from American Cities series, 2004–05
1. Short The horizontal black-and-white photograph captures a night view of a high-rise, church, and vacant lot.
2. Long In the horizontal black-and-white photograph taken at night, a high-rise building cropped by the image frame dwarfs a church to its right. An empty lot fills the foreground of the deserted neighborhood, drawing attention to bright starbursts from the streetlights. The spare high-rise with rectangular windows contrasts with the traditional church and steeple topped by a cross. The dark sky and white buildings and ground create the impression of a photographic negative.
On viewCatherine Opie, Untitled 14 (Chicago) from American Cities series, 2004–05
1. Short A wide black-and-white photograph of the revolving door entrance to a stone building
On viewDamián Ortega, Adentro/Afuera (Superficie Modulada) [Inside/Outside (Superficial Modulation)], 2002
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On viewLaura Owens, Untitled, 2016
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On viewEd Paschke, Untitled (portrait of a lady), 1975
On viewAndrés Pereira Paz, Guamán 1, 2016–17
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On viewJoyce Pensato, Silver Batman II, 2012
1. Short This is a black and white painting of a Batman mask rendered in a loose gestural manner, with many drips of paint visible.
On viewEnoc Perez, Marina Towers, Chicago, 2012
On viewRaymond Pettibon, No Title (I don't know why), 1985
On viewRaymond Pettibon, No Title (To Dust Cover...Shut), 1984
On viewJack Pierson, In every dreamhome a heartache, 1990
On viewJack Pierson, Some peaches, 1990
On viewMichelangelo Pistoletto, Il bagno turco (The Turkish Bath), 1971
On viewLari Pittman, Untitled #14, 2003
On viewPope.L, Crying Painting, 2016
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On viewMartin Puryear, Untitled, 1975–78
1. Short A wooden branch with sharpened ends leans against a white wall. It is bent in half at an acute angle.
2. Short A brown branch, darkened in the middle that and the ends, is bent in the middle. It leans and casts a shadow against a white wall.
On viewNoemí Pérez, Panorama Catatumbo, 2012–16
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On viewRobert Rauschenberg, Cardbird VII, 1971
On viewGeorge Rickey, Two Lines Oblique, 1968
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On viewJimmy Robert, Untitled, 2008
On viewBarbara Rossi, 3-D Do, 1973
On viewThomas Ruff, Porträt (A. Wagner), 1985
On viewEdward Ruscha and Lawrence Weiner, Hard Light, 1978
1. Short In this grainy photograph, a light-skinned woman with long brown hair is seen in profile. She stands with her hands on her hips in front of shelves full of glassware and spices.
On viewEdward Ruscha, Words Without Thoughts, 1986
On viewRobert Ryman, Untitled [No. 25], 1960
On viewThomas Schütte, Ganz Grosse Geister (Big Spirits XL), 2004
1. Short Three yellow sculptures of abstract human figures stand as if communicating with each other outdoors in an urban setting.
2. Long Three yellow and white forms are installed on an outdoor terrace. The forms resemble human bodies, yet they have no faces. The heads of the forms are created from coiled, hard textured material and the bodies are similarly constructed of coiled material, arranged into torsos, arms and legs. The scale of the figures is about double the size of an average person and the are arranged about a half of a figure length apart from each other. The figure on the left appears to have its head tilted to the sky, while the center figure faces to the right, where the third figure bends lightly towards the ground, hand upraised. The bright color of the figures contrasts with urban scene in the background: behind the figures a black fence, green leafy trees and tall gray buildings are visible. The sky is bright blue and the bright light of mid-day casts sharp shadows below the figures.
On viewRichard Serra, Prop, 1968
On viewJim Shaw, Untitled (Rock Slide/Modern House) from the aestheticized disaster series, 1992
On viewCindy Sherman, Untitled #86, 1981
1. Short A light-skinned feminine figure wearing a white tee-shirt and short denim shorts lays on their side against a dark background. The figure is wet, as if laying in the rain. The photograph is a wide horizontal composition.
On viewErin Shirreff, Sculpture for Snow, 2011
1. Short A matte black geometric sculpture juts out from the snowy ground. Two of its faces, one square and one triangular, are perfectly covered by a white layer of snow.
On viewGary Simmons, Star Child, 2003
On viewLaurie Simmons, Walking Microphone With Skirt, 1989
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On viewDiane Simpson, Ribbed Kimono, 1980
On viewKiki Smith, Untitled (Girl on Porch), 1993
On viewNancy Spero, The Dancer, 1994
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On viewHaim Steinbach, Untitled (cabbage, pumpkin, pitchers) #1, 1986
On viewFrank Stella, C Type, 1968
1. Short In this image, three concentric shapes like curved triangles or slices of pizza appear within one another. From largest to smallest, they are orange, burgundy, and black.
On viewMary Stoppert, Mano Lirio, 1983
1. Short A ceramic rendering of a flower resembling a peace lily has golden, spiked humanoid fingers in place of a stamen. Its stem appears to be made of a wooden paint brush handle.
On viewMary Stoppert, Velo Hand, 1983
On viewTakis, Magnetic Mobile, c. 1964
On viewYves Tanguy, Untitled (The Fluidity of Time), 1930
On viewDorothea Tanning, Sleeping Nude, 1954
1. Short Painted in a traditional style, a light-skinned nude woman with wide hips reclines on a red surface. The top half of the painting, including most of her face, collapses into abstract shapes like crumpled fabric.
On viewEduardo Terrazas, 1.1.30, 1974–2014
1. Short A vivid red background features a series of white concentric shapes in this symmetrical square composition.
2. Long A symmetrical geometric pattern of white lines is formed on a red canvas. In descending order of size, moving toward the center of the image, are a square, a circle, a diamond, a thin square, and a circle. An "x" and a "+" bifurcate each of these shapes. The lines and shapes appear to be hand-drawn due to their slight imperfections. Barely visible darker lines expand the pattern into greater detail.
On viewBob Thompson, Deposition, 1963
On viewWolfgang Tillmans, Rachel Auburn, 1995
1. Short An adult wearing large headphones and black lingerie stands confidently next to a smiling child in a t-shirt and jeans. The pink wall behind them features a shelf of records and audio equipment, and a poster of nude male figures.
On viewSalman Toor, The Bar on East 13th Street, 2019
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On viewRichard Tuttle, Purple Octagonal, 1967
1. Short An irregular octagon of peach fabric lies on a white background.
2. Short A wrinkled peach fabric is in the shape of an irregular octagon.
On viewLuc Tuymans, Gold, 2010
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On viewJeff Wall, In front of a nightclub, 2006
On viewCarrie Mae Weems, Woman in White/Pan of Water from the Sea Island series, 1992
On viewJames Welling, 45, 1984
1. Short A photograph shows several pieces of black obsidian stones in various sizes.
On viewH.C. Westermann, Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea, 1958
On viewJack Whitten, Pink Psyche Queen, 1973
On viewWesley Willis, The Dan Ryan Expressway, 39th Street Towards 35th Street, 1989
On viewWesley Willis, North LaSalle Street, 1987
On viewKarl Wirsum, Chest Peter, 1971
On viewClaire Zeisler, Rosemary, 1968
On viewAndrea Zittel, A-Z Cellular Compartment Communities #5, 2002

Gloved hands review a 4x5 color transparency and a roll of 35mm black and white film over a light box with a viewing loupe.

To request images—including exhibition installation views and permanent collection works—or MCA-created text or media, fill out a media and image application.

Short Gloved hands review a 4x5 color transparency and a roll of 35mm black and white film over a light box with a viewing loupe.

Works that are titled Untitled

Short A blue-and-white graph shaped like a ring with one-sixth solid and the rest checkered is titled "As on Nov 2015."