GENERAL DESCRIPTION
For more than thirty years Robert Rauschenberg has been internationally recognized as one of the most significant artists of his generation. He began painting at a time when abstract expressionism was the prevailing mode of artistic expression, but while Rauschenberg's work has incorporated certain stylistic references to action painting, his approach to art making has had an entirely different focus. By incorporating actual fragments of reality in his paintings, Rauschenberg actively suggests he is not solely responsible for the character of his work. He is, rather, a contributor in a partnership with objects selected from life. During a long and productive career, Rauschenberg's vision radically altered generally accepted ideas about the materials and subjects of art, as well as the role of the artist himself.
Born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg completed his secondary education in the Gulf city, and then briefly attended the University of Texas prior to enlisting in the Navy. After his military experience, Rauschenberg studied at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1946-47, the Académie Julian in Paris in 1947, and at Black Mountain College under the artist Josef Albers in 1948-49. At Black Mountain College he met avant-garde creative partners John Cage and Merce Cunningham, with whom he devised "happenings" and other early performances. It was after this nascent academic period that Rauschenberg moved to New York City. While taking classes at the Art Students League, New York, from 1949 to 1951, Rauschenberg was offered his first solo exhibition at the Betty Parsons Gallery. His all white paintings of 1951 implied an elimination of the self and demystified of the romantic concept of the artist, themes that have persisted throughout his work.
In his groundbreaking work from the 1950s, often termed "combines," Rauschenberg incorporated three-dimensional found objects with two-dimensional forms, thus breaking down traditional notions of the boundaries between art experiences and actual life encounters. In the artist's own words, the thrust of his work was to "operate in the gap between art and life." His art making proceeded intuitively from the initial idea or association of particular objects through to their final pictorial form. Sometimes this required a search for objects outside the confines of his studio, a process which reconfirmed Rauschenberg's desire to take art out into life. Thus Rauschenberg's palette is really a product of various encounters that in some way echo the details of his life without being wholly autobiographical.
Beginning in 1963, Rauschenberg undertook a series of paintings where he combined silkscreen reproductions of photographs with richly painted abstract forms. For Rauschenberg, the use of these flat images infinitely widened the possible scope and arrangement of his subject matter. By using a silkscreen technique, he could better integrate pictures physically while retaining contrast between technology and the artist's hand. Rauschenberg was able to alter dramatically the scale of his images, to reuse them, and he no longer had to cope with how to adhere photos and other objects to the canvas. Rauschenberg continued to have a profound effect on the art world, exhibiting in museums and galleries around the world until his death in 2008.
Adapted from:
- Sue Graze, DMA Acquires Rauschenberg's Epic 1964 Skyway, DMA Bulletin Summer 1986, 2-4.
- Gail Davitt, DMA unpublished material, 1986-1987.
NOTES
From:
DMA unpublished material = Gail Davitt, biographical essays, education files, 1986-1987.
Robert Rauschenberg (1925 b. Port Arthur, Texas)
Robert Rauschenberg was born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas. After studying
pharmacy at the University of Texas and serving in the Naval Reserve, he
studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute, at the Académie Julian in
Paris, at the Art Students League in New York, and, most significantly,
under Joseph Albers at Black Mountian College in North Carolina.
Rauschenberg later taught at Black Mountain College where he devised
"happenings" with John Cage and others. Rauschenberg's all white paintings
of 1951 implied an elimination of the self 'and related demystification of
the romantic concept of the artist that has persisted throughout his work.
Likewise, the intention to provoke his spectator to look long and
carefully, an aspect of his black canvases (torn and crushed newspapers,
pasted on canvas and coated with black enamel), has been a part of his
entire oeuvre. His first combine paintings of 1953-55 in which real
objects, including photographs, rags, and discarded junk, were affixed to
the canvas, were nostalgic works which recalled life back home. Later
combines such as Rebus used collage materials which reflected an urbanized
society dominated by mass media; the images charge each other with meanings
and associations. John Cage likened Rauschenberg's combination of diverse
images to "many television sets working simultaneously, all tuned
differently." Rauschenberg later integrated found images with made forms
by transferring photographs to silk screen which he was able to print
directly onto the canvas, combining them with gestural passages of pigment.
Continually exploring his avowed intention to act within the gap between
art and life, Rauschenberg has worked with the Merce Cunningham Dance
Company, collaborated with engineers and laser scientists, and created
works from opened cardboard boxes and of diaphanous veils of silk.
ASSOCIATED CONTENT CHUNKS (list applicable note links)
AUDIO ASSETS
13313172: UMO; Icons of the Collection: Duchamp to Rauschenberg
13312548: UMO; 13312460: UMO; Critical Issues around Dialogues: Duchamp, Cornell, Johns, Rauschenberg
13311940: UMO; Who is Bob Rauschenberg?
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
Photo copied from
Sue Graze, DMA Acquires Rauschenberg's Epic 1964 Skyway, DMA Bulletin Summer 1986, page 4
[Artist Robert Rauschenberg, standing in front of Skyway, at one of the opening previews of the new Dallas Museum of Art in January 1984.]
WEB RESOURCES
- Rauschenberg Foundation~Explore the late artist's website.
- New York Times~Read the artist's obituary.
- SFMOMA~Watch a short video, "Robert Rauschenberg, Erasing the Rules."
- SFMOMA~Watch a short video of the artist discussing his most personal works.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES (digitized/non-digitized)
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
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General Description
For more than thirty years Robert Rauschenberg has been internationally recognized as one of the most significant artists of his generation. He began painting at a time when abstract expressionism was the prevailing mode of artistic expression, but while Rauschenberg's work has incorporated certain stylistic references to action painting, his approach to art making has had an entirely different focus. By incorporating actual fragments of reality in his paintings, Rauschenberg actively suggests he is not solely responsible for the character of his work. He is, rather, a contributor in a partnership with objects selected from life. During a long and productive career, Rauschenberg's vision radically altered generally accepted ideas about the materials and subjects of art, as well as the role of the artist himself.
Born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg completed his secondary education in the Gulf city, and then briefly attended the University of Texas prior to enlisting in the Navy. After his military experience, Rauschenberg studied at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1946-47, the Académie Julian in Paris in 1947, and at Black Mountain College under the artist Josef Albers in 1948-49. At Black Mountain College he met avant-garde creative partners John Cage and Merce Cunningham, with whom he devised "happenings" and other early performances. It was after this nascent academic period that Rauschenberg moved to New York City. While taking classes at the Art Students League, New York, from 1949 to 1951, Rauschenberg was offered his first solo exhibition at the Betty Parsons Gallery. His all white paintings of 1951 implied an elimination of the self and demystified of the romantic concept of the artist, themes that have persisted throughout his work.
In his groundbreaking work from the 1950s, often termed "combines," Rauschenberg incorporated three-dimensional found objects with two-dimensional forms, thus breaking down traditional notions of the boundaries between art experiences and actual life encounters. In the artist's own words, the thrust of his work was to "operate in the gap between art and life." His art making proceeded intuitively from the initial idea or association of particular objects through to their final pictorial form. Sometimes this required a search for objects outside the confines of his studio, a process which reconfirmed Rauschenberg's desire to take art out into life. Thus Rauschenberg's palette is really a product of various encounters that in some way echo the details of his life without being wholly autobiographical.
Beginning in 1963, Rauschenberg undertook a series of paintings where he combined silkscreen reproductions of photographs with richly painted abstract forms. For Rauschenberg, the use of these flat images infinitely widened the possible scope and arrangement of his subject matter. By using a silkscreen technique, he could better integrate pictures physically while retaining contrast between technology and the artist's hand. Rauschenberg was able to alter dramatically the scale of his images, to reuse them, and he no longer had to cope with how to adhere photos and other objects to the canvas. Rauschenberg continued to have a profound effect on the art world, exhibiting in museums and galleries around the world until his death in 2008.
Adapted from:
- Sue Graze, DMA Acquires Rauschenberg's Epic 1964 Skyway, DMA Bulletin Summer 1986, 2-4.
- Gail Davitt, DMA unpublished material, 1986-1987.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
(digitized/non-digitized)
Web Resources
- Rauschenberg Foundation~Explore the late artist's website.
- New York Times~Read the artist's obituary.
- SFMOMA~Watch a short video, "Robert Rauschenberg, Erasing the Rules."
- SFMOMA~Watch a short video of the artist discussing his most personal works.
Notes
From:
DMA unpublished material = Gail Davitt, biographical essays, education files, 1986-1987.
Robert Rauschenberg (1925 b. Port Arthur, Texas)
Robert Rauschenberg was born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas. After studying
pharmacy at the University of Texas and serving in the Naval Reserve, he
studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute, at the Académie Julian in
Paris, at the Art Students League in New York, and, most significantly,
under Joseph Albers at Black Mountian College in North Carolina.
Rauschenberg later taught at Black Mountain College where he devised
"happenings" with John Cage and others. Rauschenberg's all white paintings
of 1951 implied an elimination of the self 'and related demystification of
the romantic concept of the artist that has persisted throughout his work.
Likewise, the intention to provoke his spectator to look long and
carefully, an aspect of his black canvases (torn and crushed newspapers,
pasted on canvas and coated with black enamel), has been a part of his
entire oeuvre. His first combine paintings of 1953-55 in which real
objects, including photographs, rags, and discarded junk, were affixed to
the canvas, were nostalgic works which recalled life back home. Later
combines such as Rebus used collage materials which reflected an urbanized
society dominated by mass media; the images charge each other with meanings
and associations. John Cage likened Rauschenberg's combination of diverse
images to "many television sets working simultaneously, all tuned
differently." Rauschenberg later integrated found images with made forms
by transferring photographs to silk screen which he was able to print
directly onto the canvas, combining them with gestural passages of pigment.
Continually exploring his avowed intention to act within the gap between
art and life, Rauschenberg has worked with the Merce Cunningham Dance
Company, collaborated with engineers and laser scientists, and created
works from opened cardboard boxes and of diaphanous veils of silk.
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