“Untitled (Broken Men)” (2018) by Rashid Johnson
On View presents images from noteworthy exhibitions
NEW WORKS by Rashid Johnson are on view in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Featured at Hauser & Wirth, the paintings, sculptures, and drawings build on themes Johnson has explored previously. Broken Men is a series of mosaic tile paintings that address anxiety borne of the fraught political and social climate in the United States and around the world. Based on abstracted images of faces, the colorful works give a nod to the New York City-based artist’s earlier Anxious Men series, black-and-white works reflecting the unease experienced by black men. Johnson is also showing Escape Collages that layer custom wallpaper illustrated with images of diasporic symbolism with tile, wood flooring, black soap and wax. The collages are inspired by Sun Ra’s Afrofuturist philosophy and envision escapism as a means of overcoming oppression. Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich. The new location in St. Moritz opened in December 2018 and the Johnson exhibition is the second presentation in the space. CT
“Rashid Johnson: It Never Entered My Mind” is on view at Hauser & Wirth, St. Moritz, Switzerland, Feb. 17-March 31, 2019
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Installation view of “Rashid Johnson: It Never Entered My Mind,” Hauser & Wirth, St. Moritz, Switzerland, Feb. 17-March 31, 2019. | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
RASHID JOHNSON, “Black Anxious Drawing,” 2018 (oil stick on cotton rag, 67.3 x 52.1 x 3.2 cm / 26 1/2 x 20 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
RASHID JOHNSON, “Untitled (Broken Men),” 2018 (ceramic tile, mirror tile, spray enamel, oil stick, black soap, wax, 127 x 88.3 x 6.4 cm / 50 x 34 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
RASHID JOHNSON, “Untitled (Paper Collage),” 2018 (vinyl, spray enamel and oil stick on cotton rag, 82.6 x 62.2 x 3.2 cm / 32 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
Installation view of “Rashid Johnson: It Never Entered My Mind,” Hauser & Wirth, St. Moritz, Switzerland, Feb. 17-March 31, 2019. | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
RASHID JOHNSON, “Untitled (Bust),” 2018 (kiln fired clay with glaze, 31.1 x 27.9 x 22.9 cm / 12 1/4 x 11 x 9 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
RASHID JOHNSON, “Untitled (Escape Collage),” 2018 (ceramic tile, mirror tile, branded red oak flooring, vinyl, spray enamel, oil stick, black soap, wax, 246.4 x 307.3 x 5.7 cm / 97 x 121 x 2 1/4 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
TOP IMAGE: RASHID JOHNSON, “Untitled Broken Men,” 2018 (ceramic tile, mirror tile, spray enamel, oil stick, black soap and wax, 184.2 x 280.7 x 6.4 cm / 72 1/2 x 110 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches). | © Rashid Johnson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Martin Parsekian
BOOKSHELF
Recent publications accompany exhibitions of Rashid Johnson’s work, including “Rashid Johnson: Blocks” (The High Line), “Rashid Johnson” (Garage Museum of Contemporary Art), “Rashid Johnson: Anxious Men” (The Drawing Center), “Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks” is a comprehensive documentation of the artist’s practice dating to 2012.
