Rashid Johnson

About this book

Since 2001, Rashid Johnson (born 1977) has risen to international attention with his powerfully visual statements on contemporary culture. Working across painting, photography, sculpture, installation, video and performance, the artist has charted a trajectory that offers fresh readings of art history, social history, psychology and literature. Rashid Johnson: New Work follows the making of the artist's largest work to date: an immersive, living eco-system where fact, fiction, history and mythology converge. Described by the artist as a"brain" that prioritizes poetic rather than logical reason, the work offers unexpected associations between objects, video and sound, that have become untethered from their cultural roots, to provide nuanced readings on clichés of class, nation and race. The first book to follow the development of Johnson's sculptural and installation works, Rashid Johnson: New Work includes an interview with the artist by Kate Fowle and an extensive essay, also by Fowle, which investigates Johnson's influences and references. The New Work series examines in depth the making of a large-scale work, focusing on methods of research and production to provide new perspectives on the practice of a mid-career or established artist whose work resonates across cultures.