Since 2001, Rashid Johnson 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. This book follows the making of the artist’s largest work to date: an immersive, living ecosystem 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—untethered from their cultural roots — to provide nuanced readings on clichés of class, nation, and race.
The first publication to follow the development of Johnson’s sculptural and installation works, this volume by Garage Chief Curator Kate Fowle includes an interview with the artist and an extensive essay which investigates Johnson’s influences and references.
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art’s New Work series was launched in 2016 and examines in depth the making of a large scale commission, 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 culture.
