Shea Butter Monolith
Date2007
Maker
Rashid Johnson
American, born 1977
Label TextIn this work, Rashid Johnson calls back to the minimal forms and high-gloss finishes of artists like John McCracken. The fetish qualities of McCracken’s surfaces take on a different erotic suggestiveness in this monolith, which the title suggests is coated in shea butter, a skincare product originating in Africa and popular amongst Black communities. Staged on two mirrors, the phallic plank gains a hypervisibility. It prompts viewers to consider themselves in relation to complex cultural and artistic histories, including how Black masculinity and race are defined within a monolithic Eurocentric narrative.
Object number2024.18
ProvenanceThe artist; [James Harris Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 2007]; Rebecca Stewart, 2007; gift to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2024
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, James Harris Gallery, Rashid Johnson: Dark Matters, July 12 - August 25, 2007.Credit LineGift of Rebecca and Alexander Stewart in honor of Mimi Gates
Dimensions96 x 60 x 96 in. (243.8 x 152.4 x 243.8 cm)
MediumBeeswax on blond birch and mirrors
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