Rauschenberg’s sculptures built upon modern examples of assemblage pioneered by such artists as Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948), and Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968), especially the latter’s readymades—everyday objects designated works of art through their selection by the artist. Often working at a much larger scale than this earlier generation, Rauschenberg incorporated a vast and unlikely range of things into his art. Their surfaces frequently accommodated photographs, squares of fabrics, or other items; within, interior spaces could shelter unexpected objects or hint at unknown depths. This play between an artwork’s interior and exterior meant that every facet of its physical presence became essential to its identity, an egalitarian approach to composition encouraging curiosity and close observation.
Intrinsic to Rauschenberg’s innovations was his attitude to art-making. Rather than the popular Romantic concept of a solitary genius expressing innermost feelings, he envisioned a creative approach thoroughly engaged in the world. The word “collaboration” appears frequently in accounts of Rauschenberg’s life and work: collaboration with other artists, with creative practitioners in other fields, or even with the objects that went into his art.
Inspired by Rauschenberg’s example, the Nasher’s Study Day invited artists, students, curators, conservators, and scholars to gather together and discuss aspects of the artist’s work.
Read transcripts of this event in the digital publication.
Particpants
Susan Davidson
Volume I Editor, Catalogue Raisonné, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, on Greenhouse
Claire Taggart
Conservator, Nasher Sculpture Center, on Music Box
Christopher Blay
Artist and Director of Public Programs, National Juneteenth Museum, on Revolver V
Anna Lovatt
Associate Professor of Art History, Southern Methodist University, on Untitled (Venetian)
Rachel Harrison
Artist, on Untitled (Early Egyptian)
Julia Blaut
Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, on Trojan Wedge (Scale)
Vivian Li
Lupe Murchison Curator of Contemporary Art, Dallas Museum of Art, on Moondragger: East (Japanese Claywork)
Catherine Craft
Senior Curator, Nasher Sculpture Center, on Kabal American Zephyrs
Acknowledgements
This Study Day was organized under the leadership of Nasher Sculpture Center Senior Curator Catherine Craft and Curator of Education Anna Smith. We extend our gratitude to the participants, whose contributions explored Robert Rauschenberg’s engagement with technology, his commitment to collaborative ways of working, the relationship of his sculpture to different cultures, and the influence of popular culture on his practice. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in making this digital publication possible.
Rauschenberg Sculpture was made possible by leading support from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The Nasher Sculpture Center joins an international roster of institutions commemorating the artist’s 100th birthday. Generous support is provided by Frost Bank. Support is also provided by Gianfranco D'Amato, Leo Katz, Katherine Sachs, and the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District (DTPID).
The Nasher Sculpture Center is supported, in part, by Nasher Members, the Christine P. Gancarz Fund at The Dallas Foundation, The City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, Dorothy M. Rickey, TACA, the Von Rydingsvard and Greengard Foundation, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
About Rauschenberg100
Robert Rauschenberg’s strong conviction that engagement with art can nurture people’s sensibilities as individuals, community members, and citizens was key to his ethos. The Centennial celebrations seek to allow audiences familiar with him and those encountering the artist for the first time to form fresh perspectives about his artwork.
A year of global activities and exhibitions in honor of Rauschenberg’s Centennial reexamines the artist through a contemporary lens, highlighting his enduring influence on generations of artists and advocates for social progress. The Centennial’s activation of the artist’s legacy promotes cross-disciplinary explorations and creates opportunities for critical dialogue.