Cheryl Johnson-Odim & Rashid Johnson: Heart-Turned-Inside-Out Poems

Rashid Johnson collaborated with his mother, Cheryl Johnson-Odim, on an artist's book titled "Other Women Before Me". The book is a beautiful documentation of their intimate exchange across time and mediums, featuring Johnson's drawings and a personal conversation between mother and son. The cover artwork folds out into a standalone poster.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 01 February 2024
Publisher: Hauser & Wirth

This exquisite artist's book showcases a profound and intimate connection between an American conceptual artist named Rashid Johnson and his mother, a historian named Cheryl Johnson-Odim. Crafted as a unified signature, adorned with silver-foiled text on the cover and a carefully curated selection of papers, the book draws inspiration from an updated version of Johnson-Odim's poetry pamphlet titled "Other Women Before Me." Originally published in 1985, the year her son Rashid reached the age of eight, this poetic collection holds a special place in their shared history. In 2022, Johnson presented this remarkable publication alongside esteemed titles by renowned artists such as Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Claudia Rankine, and Sylvia Plath within the immersive environment of his exhibition "Sodade" at Hauser & Wirth Menorca. Notably, the captivating image featured on the cover of this edition was also prominently displayed within the exhibition. Johnson's captivating drawings serve as a visual accompaniment to the poems, while the central pages of the book unfurl a deeply personal and expansive conversation between mother and son. A delightful touch adds to the allure of this artistic masterpiece, as Johnson's cover artwork gracefully unfolds, transforming into a standalone poster.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 300 x 200 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783906915814