Rashid Johnson's "Anxious Audiences" series, presented as a major new site-specific commission at The Power Plant in Toronto, Canada, from September 21, 2019, to May 10, 2020, extends his exploration of collective and personal anxiety within the context of the African American experience. This series, derived from the earlier "Anxious Men" series, amplifies the individual angst depicted in the "Anxious Men" into a collective experience, where nearly one hundred faces are revealed through a process Johnson describes as 'drawing through erasure' on monumental tiled panels (Contemporary And).
These works, characterized by frenetic lines and splatters of black soap and wax on white tile, convey a palpable sense of tension and communal watchfulness. Johnson's choice of materials—black soap mixed with wax—is deeply symbolic, tying back to West African traditions and suggesting themes of cleanliness and healing. The support system for these works, the white tiled surfaces, evoke both the sterile environments of subway stations and the minimalist grids of modern art, serving as a backdrop to the vivid human presence that Johnson carves into them (Contemporary And) (Power Plant Art Gallery).
"Anxious Audiences" reflects Johnson's personal experience with anxiety, amplified by the political and social divisiveness in the United States. This body of work sees the audience as both spectators and participants in a shared yet ambiguous space of collective unease, raising questions about unity and individuality in the face of widespread societal tension (Contemporary And) (Observer).
The series also engages with the role of the viewer, prompting a reciprocal scrutiny between the audience and the artworks themselves. The inclusion of tropical plants in ceramic pots, each with a face carved into its surface, adds a dimension of life and potential above the crowded scenes, suggesting themes of caretaking and community amid the broader context of anxiety and surveillance (Contemporary And).
Through "Anxious Audiences," Rashid Johnson continues to address themes of identity, culture, and the complexities of the African American experience with a nuanced and powerful visual language. This series not only encapsulates the artist's ongoing investigation into the medium and message of his art but also provides a critical reflection on the state of contemporary society and the shared human condition.