Rauschenburg urban debris collage project

Robert Rauschenburg
Originally uploaded by Matt Embrey

Next class we will scour the edge of Viking Dr for street detritus. Pieces of plastic, metal, glass, fabric, pebbles.

Glued down to a page atop clippings and paint, it will be an homage to the Robert Rauschenburg "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations.

Rauschenberg picked up trash, says Wikipedia, and found objects that interested him on the streets of New York City and brought these back to his studio where they could become integrated into his work. He claimed he "wanted something other than what I could make myself and I wanted to use the surprise and the collectiveness and the generosity of finding surprises."

The artist continued collaging newsprint and photographic materials in his work and the impetus to combine both painting materials and everyday objects such as clothing, urban debris, and taxidermied animals such as in Monogram[34] continued throughout his artistic life.

Rauschenburg's wit was part of his artistic style. In 1953 he erased a drawing by Willem de Kooning, which he obtained from his colleague for the express purpose of erasing it as an artistic statement. The result is titled Erased de Kooning Drawing.

Also in 1953 Rauschenberg created his "White Paintings," in the tradition of monochromatic painting, whose purpose was to reduce painting to its most essential nature, and to subsequently lead to the possibility of pure experience.

In 1961 Rauschenberg took a step in what could be considered the opposite direction by championing the role of creator in creating art's meaning. Rauschenberg was invited to participate in an exhibition at the Galerie Iris Clert, where artists were to create and display a portrait of the owner, Iris Clert. Rauschenberg's submission consisted of a telegram sent to the gallery declaring "This is a portrait of Iris Clert if I say so."

He was from Texas but was a Pop art lion of the New York art world from the 1960's to the end of his life in 2008.