My father had a big brick cell phone, before anyone had a cell phone, because he was really just into that kind of thing - communication devices. I grew up between my father's laboratory and my mother's library. Rashid Johnson bigbrickcell share on social
I've been interested in LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka's work for quite a while. My first introduction to LeRoi Jones was when my mother used to read me the 'Dead Lecturer' poems when I was a kid. Rashid Johnson amiribarakadead Change image and share on social
I have an investment in the signifying aspects of the material as well as an understanding of antecedent bodies of work. That informs the way I make marks and make decisions. Rashid Johnson antecedentaspectbody Change image and share on social
The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. Rashid Johnson hitimportantlight Change image and share on social
When I was younger, I remember there was a really famous book, and it was called 'The People Could Fly.' And so this idea of, kind of like, black characters kind of jumping into space and kind of the challenge that they presented to gravity I thought was really interesting. Rashid Johnson blackbookcall share on social
Race, class, childhood experience, the books I found on my mother's bookshelf, the albums I found in my father's basement - these things are all part of who I am and will always be a part of my work. Rashid Johnson albumbasementbook Change image and share on social
When I was younger, I would see shea butter being sold on the street, and I was interested how people were still coating themselves in the theater of Africanism. You see that in dashikis and hairstyles and music. Rashid Johnson africanismbuttercoat share on social
For me, all the materials and objects I employ come from a specific space that's very personal. Rashid Johnson employmaterialobject Change image and share on social
I wanted my art to deal with very formal concerns and to deal with very material concerns, and to deal with antecedents and art history, which for me go very far beyond just the influence of African-American artists. Rashid Johnson africanamericanantecedent share on social
I say that I suffer from what Rosalind Krauss was calling the post-medium condition, where an artist essentially employs several mediums in order to bring to life whatever specific ideas that they have. For me it's always been that way. Rashid Johnson artistbringcall share on social