Johnson’s first photography studios were the driveway and back steps of his house, but soon he was carrying a pocket-size camera on his daily outings to nearby beaches, parks, and cemeteries. In spring 1992, he threaded a cutout silhouette of Joseph Cornell over the cord of a payphone, then photographed it with one hand while holding the receiver with the other—acting as operator of a hotline to the collage-art pioneer.
Ray Johnson (1927–1995)
Path of headshots and back steps
spring 1992
Commercially processed chromogenic print
4 × 6
The Morgan Library & Museum. Gift of the Ray Johnson Estate, courtesy of Frances Beatty; 2022.2:29
© Ray Johnson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Ray Johnson (1927–1995)
Joseph Cornell silhouette and payphone
spring 1992
Commercially processed chromogenic print
4 × 6
The Morgan Library & Museum. Gift of the Ray Johnson Estate, courtesy of Frances Beatty; 2022.2:36
© Ray Johnson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Ray Johnson (1927–1995)
Bills, Stehli Beach
summer 1992
Commercially processed chromogenic print
4 × 6
The Morgan Library & Museum. Gift of the Ray Johnson Estate, courtesy of Frances Beatty; 2022.2:11
© Ray Johnson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York