Jeff Wall’s portfolio is defined by cinematic scenes of candor, some of which are further accentuated by his often large, signature lightboxes. However, it is only when the viewer looks beyond the strategic scaling, lighting, palette, and levelling of these scenes that they are able to develop an intimate, and sometimes uneasy, understanding of the photos’ subject – and, by extension, the moments of “nowness” that are constant in life. Jeff Wall Photographs 1984-2023 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto (MOCA) memorializes Wall’s mastery of producing simultaneously entertaining and contemplative narratives in its three-story exhibition. The collection spotlights this in pieces such as War game (2007), Boy falls from tree (2010), Parent Child (2018) and Bad Goods (1984). Despite their varied stories, each scene has the following in common: they are incomplete.
Among the exhibited works was one of the highest-selling photographs of all time: Dead Troops Talk (A Vision After an Ambush of a Soviet Army Patrol near Moqor, Afghanistan, Winter 1986).
Jeff Wall, Dead Troops Talk (a vision after an ambush of a Red Army Patrol, near Moqor, Afghanistan, winter 1986), 1992. Transparency in light box. © Jeff Wall
A comparison of more than 50 of Wall’s iconic photographs suggested three possible types of chronological indicators across all the works. These are either in the middle, often represented by large-scale prints of contemplative or frozen movements; at the end, typically shown through zoom-ins of a disastrous scene, as if observing the consequences of an action within a narrative; or, at the beginning, since each of these moments could be seen as a new start to the story, marked by the viewer’s imposing gaze, which now involves them in the unfolding events.
Works like In the Legion (2022) contain allusions that indicate the story’s chronological stage and, coincidentally, suggest what may follow to the imposing viewer. This work falls under the medium stage, fitting into the pattern of blown-up images and pending action. In this suspenseful work, aside from the evident backflip, we see people with half-finished drinks, conversations, and reactions, all of which allude to the middle of the narrative within the picture. In constructing this detailed narrative, Wall opens a world of possibilities within his work. Yet he chooses to focus on the moment, encouraging the viewer to enjoy the now in all its stillness, to pause and appreciate its oddity, uncertainty, and momentum of every second.
Jeff Wall, In the Legion, 2022. Transparency in light box. © Jeff Wall. Courtesy Gagosian.
This serene attitude towards ambiguity is well illustrated in Boy falls from tree (2010), as its innocent atmosphere not only distracts but also enhances the unfolding scene by transforming it from a moment of fear into a memorable aspect of childhood naïveté. When examining the work from this perspective, it also becomes clear that, as an artist, Wall always considers the bigger picture.
Jeff Wall, Boy falls from tree, 2010. Lightjet print. © Jeff Wall
Then, there is the theme of contemplation. Such images capture the “midway” scenes, with Wall depicting the individuals in these portraits as engaged in a simple, fixated action; all the while lost in the complex depths of thought. The viewer encroaches on these individuals’ private moments; a feeling that evokes both awe and unease, knowing that one is not meant to witness such personal intimacy.
Jeff Wall, Volunteer, 1996. Gelatin silver print. Jeff Wall Photographs 1984–2023, installation view, MOCA Toronto, 2025. Photo: LF Documentation. © Jeff Wall.
This feeling is epitomized in pieces such as Mother of pearl (2016), Volunteer (1996)and Maquette for a monument / to the contemplation / of the possibility of mending / a hole in a sock (2023). These pieces stand out in the sea of iconic works by Wall; as the longer one views and contemplates them, one comes to mirror the subjects and becomes a “Wall” – captured in the stillness of an ever-evolving scene.
Jeff Wall, Maquette for a monument / to the contemplation / of the possibility of mending / a hole in a sock, 2022. Inkjet Print. Courtesy Gagosian.
I invite readers to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art to see Jeff Wall Photographs 1984–2023, a survey of Canada’s leading contemporary artist. This is Wall’s first survey in Toronto in over 35 years, showcasing four decades of aesthetically vibrant and thoughtfully crafted narratives through photography.
Antonella Pecora Ruiz
Images are courtesy of MOCA.
Exhibition information: Jeff Wall, Photographs 1984–2023, October 19, 2025 – March 26, 2026, Museum of Contemporary Art, 158 Sterling Rd, Toronto. Museum hours: Wed – Thu 11 am – 5 pm, Fri 12 – 9 pm, Sat – Sun 10 am – 5 pm.