Power House Memphis

Rashid Johnson
The Dead Lecturer: Laboratory, Dojo, and Performance Space

January 31, 2009 - March 27, 2009

Opening Reception Saturday, January 31, 2-5pm

Power House Memphis (PHM) is thrilled to present The Dead Lecturer: Laboratory, Dojo, and Performance Space, a site specific installation and happening created by rising American star, Rashid Johnson. Power House’s first exhibition of 2009 is an ambitious endeavor. Not only have most of the works been made within the actual space of PHM, but viewers will also see how Johnson has reenergized the space with his photographs, paintings, and signature mirror work. The artist’s quest to define and dispel the concept of blackness via experiment, combat or self-defense and ceremony, transforms the space into an experience rather than a mere installation. The inner sanctum of black intelligentsia is revealed to viewers, encouraging an understanding about the underlying myths and misconceptions of and about blackness. Utilizing found materials and creating assemblages made from shea butter, wood, mirrors, wax, steel and black soap, Johnson combines these ingredients to question the organic and fixed realm of the society in which we live. The tenor of this exhibition is one of contemplation and awe at the conspiracy of the universe that makes the intersection of past, present, and future a paradoxical dance.

Appropriating a portion of the show’s title from a book of poems by LeRoi Jones, (now known as Amiri Baraka), Johnson invites us to explore time, space, reality and the complex “isms” of our own individuality. Johnson’s reference to Jones’, Dead Lecturer, conflates and pays homage to the work, while also offering a subtext that leads to the avant-garde aesthetics and theories of artist and poet, Marcel Broodthaers. Johnson questions the constraints and linearity of traditional art theory, by offering viewers his abstract, yet experiential observations about the art world and society as a whole. This installation transforms the Power House into a place that inquires about the metaphysical notions of race, identity, and culture while also casting off past beliefs systems. Ultimately, Johnson has created a unique and complex dialogue about the incongruous nature of the society we inhabit.

About the Artist:

Rashid Johnson (b. Chicago, 1977, live NY) is a conceptual artist whose works include a variety of media including sculpture, photography, and video. Johnson received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2005) and his BFA from Columbia College, Chicago (2000). His work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Cocoran Museum of Art, the Wadworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and the Renaissance Society at the Univeristy of Chicago. Johnson’s work is included in many private and public collection such as: the Art Institute of Chicago, IL Artist Pension Trust, NY, Brooklyn Art Museum, NY, Detroit Institute of Art. MI, Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, Germany, LaSalle Bank, Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, Eileen Harris-Norton, Santa Monica, CA, The Rubell Family Collection, Miami, Seattle Art Museum, Speyer Family Collection, NY, Studio Museum, of Harlem, NY, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. Johnson is represented by Nicole Klagsburn Gallery in New York City and Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago.

Guest Project : Born under a bad sign.

Curated by Celine Kopp

Saâdane Afif (FR), Ulla von Brandenburg (GER), Marcelline Delbecq (FR), Laurent Montaron (FR),

Lili Reynaud Dewar (FR), Mai-Thu Perret (CH)

Credit image : Saâdane Afif, Re: Tête de mort, 2008

© the artist and Michel Rein Gallery Paris

View Invitation


Born under a bad sign is a project bringing to Memphis six of Europe's most exciting artists to be in residence together in Memphis in 2009. Born under a bad sign will take place in several phases involving a research period and the introduction of their work to the local audience while artist are in residence, the creation of a book, and the organization of an exhibition that will premier in Memphis and then tour internationally.


PROJECT DETAILS AND ARTISTS

Title

Born under a bad sign was a blues album by Albert King, recorded between 1966 and 1967, and released in 1967 by Stax Records. The title brings to mind the musical history of Memphis, the civil rights movements, the situation and history of the South, and also vernacular culture and references to the occult (Robert Johnson and the crossroads curse, etc.)


THE PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE IN SEVERAL PHASES:

First stage

A 4 weeks residency in Memphis. Central is the image of the wanderer as it will enable them to collate distinct references and border incidents between stories, legends, history and music. It will facilitate a breach and open up questions for the artists to pursue. During the time of the residency presentations, screenings, performances and talks will be hosted by the Power House Memphis and Memphis College of Art.

Recording facilities will be provided and overseen by Soul is Cheap records. Soul is Cheap records will orient the artists in the alternative music scene and facilitate collaborations.

Second stage

A publication, articulating the narratives, experiences and ideas born during the residency. This publication will be conceived as the script of an exhibition constituting the last phase of the project.

Last stage

An exhibition, taking place in 2010 in Memphis and touring internationally


TIMELINE

July 13, 2008 - Bastille Day at the Power House, Memphis to announce the project

Fall 2008 - Benefit Festival with local bands organized by Soul is Cheap Records

April 15 - May 15 2009 - The six artists are present in Memphis.
Screenings, talks and performances will be hosted by the Power House and Memphis College of Art

December 2009 - Launch of the publications simultaneously in Art Basel Miami and in Memphis.

2010 - Exhibition premieres in Memphis and tour in Europe.


WHY THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF ARTISTS?

he six artists of Born under a bad sign are among the most talented and recognized European artists from today’s young generation. They have exhibited in major museums internationally. More than anything, they are excited to come to Memphis to show their work, discover the city, and interact with the local art scene and audience.

The six artists of Born under a bad sign share a common interest in narrative structures, visual archetypes and art historical references, popular culture and mythologies. They have been selected based on previous works that resonate with elements of Memphis’ particular cultural history or based on a practice that is well-disposed to create a work in relation with this context. Most of them are interested in collaborative practices and exchanges and have collaborated together on previous projects. They will interact with the local art and music scenes, exchange with communities, and dig through the city history, folklore, legends, past and present to create new works and create a publication. Their works range from painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation, to writing, music recording, video and performance.


PARTNERS:

  • Memphis College of Art
  • Soul is Cheap Records
  • The Bookmakers, Turin
  • The French Consulate in Atlanta
  • Etant Donnés: The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art. (Cultural Services of the French Embassy, CulturesFrance and the Délégation aux Arts Plastiques (DAP) of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, in partnership with the Florence Gould Foundation, New York.


Power House Memphis is supported by:
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts | National Endowment for the Arts | Tennessee Arts Commission | Arts Memphis | Hyde Family Foundations

45 G.E. Patterson
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m.