Honoring Robert Rauschenberg

We commemorate another giant of our time for his 100th birthday, Robert Rauschenberg (1925, Port Arthur, TX – Captiva, FL, 2008), celebrating his expansive creativity, spirit of curiosity, and commitment to change. The breadth of Rauschenberg’s transdisciplinary and collaborative practice, as well as his wide-ranging and enduring commitment to philanthropy, are not widely known. Following his first trip to China in 1982, he developed Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI), an active global program of traveling exhibitions and cultural dialogues intended to bring people closer through art. He would receive the National Medal of Arts in 1993.

Robert Rauschenberg’s own artistic practice revolved around integrating “the real world” into his art, and he famously stated, “I want a picture to look like something it is.” This vision led him to incorporate found objects ranging from taxidermized animals to newspaper clippings and photographs into his work. His famous “Combines” would further blur the distinctions between painting and sculpture. His collaborative work with other great artists such as John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, and Cy Twombly had a decisive influence on post-war art and the fields of dance, music, painting, and sculpture. Rauschenberg’s enduring influence on generations of artists and advocates for social progress cannot be overstated. 

 

Images: 
>> Robert Rauschenberg, Study for Chinese Summerhall (Pink Window), 1983. Chromogenic Print, 26⅜ x 26⅛ in. (image) / 40x30 in. (sheet) Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville. Museum Purchase. 1983.20. © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/ Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. 
>> Robert Rauschenberg, Quarry, 1968. Offset lithograph, 34½ x 26 in. Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville. Anonymous Gift. 1985.106. © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/ Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.