American artist Rashid Johnson on searching for autonomy
Rashid Johnson in the studio, 2020 © Rashid Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo by Axel Dupeux
Rashid Johnson?s profoundly striking art unravels the complexities, absurdities and psychology of black cultural identity. As his latest solo show opens at Hauser & Wirth in London, Millie Walton speaks to the artist about developing his artistic tool box, searching for autonomy and appreciating an artwork for what it is
American artist Rashid Johnson is on his ?daily constitutional? around his neighbourhood in New York. We?re speaking on the phone to a soundtrack of passing cars, birds singing, the artist?s breath. The walk is a new ?lockdown? addition to his daily routine, which, as a self-described ?creature of habit?, is an essential part of his process and generally, requires him being in the studio from around 9am till 3pm. ?Inspiration is for amateurs,? he says, borrowing a quote from Chuck Close, another American artist. ?You can?t just wait for it to happen, you have to show up and do it, and ideally at some time during that period something brilliant will happen.? Follow LUX on Instagram:Â luxthemagazine
Inevitably, brilliance doesn?t always happen, but you don?t get to be one of the world?s most prominent contemporary artists by giving up when things get difficult. ?As much as people would love for the job of an artist to be joyful, for me, it?s not exclusively that,? he continues. ?And I say joy specifically because I don?t really know how t...
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