Ray Johnson c/o

This exhibition, Ray Johnson ℅, is guided by the belief that this fugitive and ever-evolving artist comes into view most clearly when seen against the backdrop of his collaborations. The featured works are drawn almost exclusively from the Art Institute’s recently acquired William S. Wilson Collection of Ray Johnson—the original archives of the international mail art network known as the New York Correspondence School (NYCS). Underscoring collaborative authorship as Johnson’s most consistent means of self-reinvention, this exhibition is the first to offer a comparative assessment of his significant interactions with friends and correspondents such as archivist Bill Wilson (1932–2016), publisher Dick Higgins (1938–1998), computer scientist Toby Spiselman (1934–2018), as well as artists Karl Wirsum (b. 1939), and Robert Warner (b. 1956).

The Art Institute of Chicago 

As part of the curatorial and design process, many of the sessions involved opening the archive that was part of the acquisition of William S Wilson’s Ray Johnson collection– multiple binders and boxes. The design aims to make a seamless integration of art and archive, and capture the narrative of Ray Johnson's life and work, while also making reference to Bill Wilson’s archival process.

Curated by Caitlin Haskell and Jordan Carter
Catalogue design by Irma Boom
On view at The Art Institute of Chicago November 26, 2021 to March 21, 2022