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Robert Rauschenberg

October 29, 2010–January 15, 2011
West 21st Street, New York

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Rob McKeever

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Installation video

Works Exhibited

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Matte Black Triptych), 1951 Oil on canvas, 3 parts: 72 × 108 inches (182.9 × 274.3 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Matte Black Triptych), 1951

Oil on canvas, 3 parts: 72 × 108 inches (182.9 × 274.3 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, White Painting, 1951 Oil on canvas, 2 parts: 72 × 96 inches (182.9 × 243.8 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, White Painting, 1951

Oil on canvas, 2 parts: 72 × 96 inches (182.9 × 243.8 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Short Circuit (Combine Painting), 1955 Oil, fabric and paper on wood supports and cabinet with two hinged doors containing a painting by Susan Weil and a reproduction of a Jasper Johns Flag painting by Elaine Sturtevant, 40 ¾ × 37 ½ × 4 ¼ inches (103.5 × 95.2 × 10.8 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Short Circuit (Combine Painting), 1955

Oil, fabric and paper on wood supports and cabinet with two hinged doors containing a painting by Susan Weil and a reproduction of a Jasper Johns Flag painting by Elaine Sturtevant, 40 ¾ × 37 ½ × 4 ¼ inches (103.5 × 95.2 × 10.8 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Dylaby (Combine Painting), 1962 Oil, metal objects, metal spring, metal Coca-Cola sign, ironing board, and twine on unstretched canvas tarp on wooden support, 109 ½ × 87 × 15 inches (278.1 × 221 × 38.1 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Dylaby (Combine Painting), 1962

Oil, metal objects, metal spring, metal Coca-Cola sign, ironing board, and twine on unstretched canvas tarp on wooden support, 109 ½ × 87 × 15 inches (278.1 × 221 × 38.1 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Aen Floga (Combine Painting), 1962 Oil on canvas with wood, metal and wire, 73 × 50 × 13 ¾ inches (185.4 × 127 × 34.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Aen Floga (Combine Painting), 1962

Oil on canvas with wood, metal and wire, 73 × 50 × 13 ¾ inches (185.4 × 127 × 34.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Aen Floga (Combine Painting), 1962 (detail) Oil on canvas with wood, metal and wire

Robert Rauschenberg, Aen Floga (Combine Painting), 1962 (detail)

Oil on canvas with wood, metal and wire

Robert Rauschenberg, Nabisco Shredded Wheat (Cardboard), 1971 Cardboard, 70 × 95 × 11 inches (177.8 × 241.3 × 27.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Nabisco Shredded Wheat (Cardboard), 1971

Cardboard, 70 × 95 × 11 inches (177.8 × 241.3 × 27.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Venetian), 1973 Cardboard, wood branch, and lace curtain, 93 × 28 × 108 inches (236.2 × 73.7 × 274.3 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Venetian), 1973

Cardboard, wood branch, and lace curtain, 93 × 28 × 108 inches (236.2 × 73.7 × 274.3 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Hoarfrost), 1975 Solvent transfer on silk fabric, and collaged cardboard, 84 ½ × 49 ½ inches (214.6 × 125.7 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Hoarfrost), 1975

Solvent transfer on silk fabric, and collaged cardboard, 84 ½ × 49 ½ inches (214.6 × 125.7 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Coral Roe (Spread), 1977 Solvent transfer, acrylic, fabric and graphite on wood panels with fabric and dowels, 85 × 180 × 55 ¾ inches (215.9 × 457.2 × 141.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Coral Roe (Spread), 1977

Solvent transfer, acrylic, fabric and graphite on wood panels with fabric and dowels, 85 × 180 × 55 ¾ inches (215.9 × 457.2 × 141.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Melic Meeting (Spread), 1979 Mixed media including solvent transfer on fabric collage, and mirror, 96 × 132 × 14 inches (243.8 × 335.3 × 35.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Melic Meeting (Spread), 1979

Mixed media including solvent transfer on fabric collage, and mirror, 96 × 132 × 14 inches (243.8 × 335.3 × 35.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Melic Meeting (Spread), 1979 (detail) Mixed media including solvent transfer on fabric collage, and mirror, 96 × 132 × 14 inches (243.8 × 335.3 × 35.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Melic Meeting (Spread), 1979 (detail)

Mixed media including solvent transfer on fabric collage, and mirror, 96 × 132 × 14 inches (243.8 × 335.3 × 35.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Spread), 1983 Solvent transfer, acrylic and collage on wooden panel, 76 × 96 × 35 inches (193 × 243.8 × 88.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Spread), 1983

Solvent transfer, acrylic and collage on wooden panel, 76 × 96 × 35 inches (193 × 243.8 × 88.9 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Index (Japanese Claywork), 1985 Transfer on high-fired Japanese art ceramic, 89 ¼ × 63 ⅝ inches (226.7 × 161.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Index (Japanese Claywork), 1985

Transfer on high-fired Japanese art ceramic, 89 ¼ × 63 ⅝ inches (226.7 × 161.6 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Caryatid Cavalcade II (ROCI Chile), 1985 Acrylic on canvas, 138 ½ × 260 ¾ inches (351.8 × 662.3cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Caryatid Cavalcade II (ROCI Chile), 1985

Acrylic on canvas, 138 ½ × 260 ¾ inches (351.8 × 662.3cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Crossings (Borealis), 1990 Tarnishes on brass, 72 ¾ × 96 ¾ inches (184.8 × 245.7 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Crossings (Borealis), 1990

Tarnishes on brass, 72 ¾ × 96 ¾ inches (184.8 × 245.7 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Runts), 2007 Pigment transfer on polylaminate, 61 × 73 ½ inches (154.9 × 186.7 cm)

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Runts), 2007

Pigment transfer on polylaminate, 61 × 73 ½ inches (154.9 × 186.7 cm)

About

The thing that’s been a constant over all these years is that I believe that art is communication so that the message has to change with time… If I can possibly show to anyone that the world belongs to them, to each person, then the work is successful. And if I succeed in being a great artist, then there won’t be any need for artists any more.
—Robert Rauschenberg

Gagosian Gallery is pleased to present a major exhibition of painting and sculpture by Robert Rauschenberg.

Rauschenberg stands as one of the most inventive artists in American art, arguably the first of his generation to chart a viable course out of Abstract Expressionism towards the formal integration of art and the mess of life. His approach to making art using discarded materials, everyday objects and appropriated images eviscerated the distinctions between medium and genre, abstraction and representation, while his “flatbed picture plane” forever changed the relationship between artist, image, and viewer. This exhibition highlights the breadth and range of Rauschenberg’s untrammeled and transformative vision and his enduring influence on subsequent generations of artists working today.

From the outset, the incidental, the immediate, and the perception of a presence greater than his own artistic virtuosity drove Rauschenberg’s creative energies. By working in what he called “the gap between art and life” he developed an altogether new visual language based on collage as a microcosm of the unbounded world that rejected the conventions of unitary meaning advanced by high art. Walking the streets of New York, he picked up trash and discarded objects that caught his interest and integrated them into compositions that he called, simply and paradigmatically, “combines”. In the Combines from the 1950s and early 1960s, all manner of urban debris, clothing, taxidermied animals, and art reproductions merge to signify perpetually shifting perspectives and meanings, from Greenhouse (1950) which incorporates such humble materials such as dirt, twigs, wire and broken glass; to Short Circuit (1955), in which a Jasper Johns’ Flag and a painting by his wife Susan Weil meld into a larger collage whose support is a rustic hinged wooden cabinet; to Dylaby (1962), that was part of his contribution to the “dynamic labyrinth” exhibition by the New Realists at the Stedelijk Museum in 1962.

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