Artist Monograph

James Lee Byars, American

James Lee Byars is represented by 21 works in MoMA's permanent collection, classified as american, with dated works spanning 1959–1994.

American, 1932–1997

Authority records:
Wikidata
· Getty ULAN

Medium & Technique Profile

Primary media across the MoMA holdings

Medium	Works at MoMA	Share
Other Media	7	33.3%
Textile	5	23.8%
Drawing	5	23.8%
Printmaking	2	9.5%
Sculpture	1	4.8%
Screenprint	1	4.8%

Technique range

James Lee Byars’s MoMA holdings concentrate in Other Media, with secondary engagement in Textile, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Screenprint.

Collection Distribution: MoMA & The Met

Works held at MoMA

MoMA holds a moderate group of 21 works produced between 1959 and 1994 attributed to James Lee Byars, representing verified accession records curated by the museum’s Department of Painting and Sculpture and sister departments.

Production timeline

Dated works in these two collections span 35 years, from 1959 to 1994.

Cultural Context & Contemporaries

National context

James Lee Byars is catalogued under American nationality. See the full American artists hub.

Contemporaries among American artists

16315
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
works at MoMA
3358
Louise Bourgeois
works at MoMA
2199
Ellsworth Kelly
works at MoMA
1338
Lee Friedlander
works at MoMA
932
George Maciunas
works at MoMA

Lifespan & active period

Lifespan: 1932–1997 (65 years). Artistic production is attributed within this window.

Catalogued Works

MoMA — 21 shown

Title	Date	Medium	Dimensions	Department	Credit line
Painting Drawing Acc. 811.1969	1959	Ink on paper	36 x 35 1/2" (91.5 x 90.3 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Mrs. Gertrud A. Mellon
Untitled Drawing Acc. 798.2017	1959	Ink on paper mounted on paper	111 × 45" (281.9 × 114.3 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Robert Landsman and Sandra Lang Landsman
Untitled Drawing Acc. 583.2006	1959	Ink on paper	72 x 36 3/4" (182.9 x 93.3 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis in honor of Sarah-Ann and Werner H. Kramarsky
Bird Drawing Acc. 1387.2005	c. 1960	Pencil on paper	9 7/8 x 11 1/8" (25.1 x 28.3 cm)	Drawings & Prints	The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift
Untitled Drawing Acc. 255.1966	1962–64	Japanese handmade white flax paper, hinged and folded	Folded: 36 x 36 x 3" (91 x 91 x 7.6 cm) Unfolded: 36 x 300' (91.4 x 91.44 m) ending in a circle, 9' (274 cm) in diameter	Drawings & Prints	Gift of the artist
Untitled Object Drawing Acc. 47.1965	1962–64	Crayon on Japanese paper, joined and folded	unfolded 12" x 210' 9" (30.3 cm x 64.23 m); folded 12 x 12 x 3 3/4" (30.3 x 30.3 x 9.5 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of the artist
The Performable Square Drawing Acc. 381.1966	1963	Japanese handmade white flax paper	Object stacks into an 18" (45.6 cm) cube	Drawings & Prints	Gift of the artist
The Mile-Long Paper Walk Drawing Acc. 380.1966	1964–65	Japanese handmade white flax paper, joined with rivets	folded: 12 × 70 3/4 × 4" (30.5 × 179.7 × 10.2 cm); unfolded: 12" × 500' (30.5 × 1524.0 m)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of the artist
Black Dress from S.M.S. No. 1 Print Acc. 460.1977.1b	1968	Screenprint on envelope with folded paper cut-out	envelope: 10 x 10 1/8" (25.5 x 25.7 cm); cut-out (folded): 9 13/16 x 7 9/16" (24.9 x 19.3 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Carol O. Selle
Ceinture-queue Sculpture Acc. 616.2011	1969	Fabric	1 3/16 x 35 7/16 x 1 3/16" (3 x 90 x 3 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
Dress for Five Persons Sculpture Acc. 619.2011.a-f	1969	Fabric and hangers	Overall dimensions approximately 86 x 110 x 6" (218.4 x 279.4 x 15.2 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
Hat for Three Persons Sculpture Acc. 617.2011	1969	Fabric	7 7/8 x 137 13/16 x 11 13/16" (20 x 350 x 30 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
Mask for Two Persons Sculpture Acc. 618.2011	1969	Silk	7 7/8 x 118 1/8" (20 x 300 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
The Pink Silk Airplane Sculpture Acc. 620.2011	1969	Fabric	Dimensions variable	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
The Black Book Illustrated Book Acc. 455.2022	1971	Single sheet of thin black tissue with minuscule central text printed in gold	19 7/16 × 14 3/8" (49.4 × 36.5 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Helen and Sam Zell
The Black Book Sculpture Acc. 621.2011.1-2	1971	Gold print on tissue paper	19 11/16 x 14 15/16 x 2 3/8" (50 x 38 x 6 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
Untitled Sculpture Acc. 622.2011	before 1971	Fabric and synthetic hair	2 3/4 x 31 1/2 x 7 7/8" (7 x 80 x 20 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Partial gift of the Daled Collection and partial purchase through the generosity of Maja Oeri and Hans Bodenmann, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley
Box catalogue for the exhibition JAMES LEE BYARS at the Städtisches Museum Mönchengladbach, Germany, April 21 – May 22, 1977 Illustrated Book Acc. 524.2022.31	1977	Cardboard box containing black tissue paper	Box: 7 7/8 × 6 3/16 × 2 15/16" (20 × 15.7 × 7.5 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Helen and Sam Zell
Untitled Book [Cube Book] Illustrated Book Acc. 456.2022	1983	Artist's book/exhibition catalogue, with Piet de Jonge, Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands. 1,800 pages	book, closed: 6 1/2 × 6 1/2 × 6" (16.5 × 16.5 × 15.2 cm)	Drawings & Prints	Gift of Helen and Sam Zell
The Table of Perfect Sculpture Acc. 329.1998	1989	Gold leaf on white marble	39 1/4 x 39 1/4 x 39 1/4" (99.7 x 99.7 x 99.7 cm)	Painting & Sculpture	Committee on Painting and Sculpture Funds
F (Figure) Drawing Acc. 1388.2005.a-t	1994	Twenty pieces of silk-covered paper with metallic pencil	Each: 4 1/2" (11.4 cm)	Drawings & Prints	The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift

Frequently Asked Questions

How many works by James Lee Byars are in MoMA?

MoMA's catalogue lists 21 works attributed to James Lee Byars.

What medium did James Lee Byars primarily work in?

Based on MoMA's holdings, James Lee Byars's most represented medium is Other Media.

What nationality is James Lee Byars?

James Lee Byars is catalogued as American in MoMA's Artists index.

When were James Lee Byars's works created?

Dated works in MoMA + Met for James Lee Byars span 1959 to 1994.