Robert Rauschenberg - An Underrated Revolutionary?
Think of some of the big artistic icons of the twentieth-century: Jackson Pollock? Andy Warhol? Mark Rothko? Guarantee Robert Rauschenberg isn’t the first name to slip from your lips. Yet, the Tate’s current exhibition, Rauschenberg, hails his position as one of the century’s most seminal artists; a true member of the avant-garde and a name you might wish you’d known better.
Most significantly, Rauschenberg signifies an important bridge between the hey-day of Abstract Expressionism and the rise of the Pop Art giants. He questioned the primacy of painting and created new, more fluid forms of art-making,
Charlene, 1954
Rauschenberg’s obsession with commercial forms of visual communication is evident in his 1954 piece, Charlene. An incredibly impressive work and one that very rarely goes on loan, it collapses the division of space between viewer and painting. So much so, Rauschenberg’s work came to encapsulate a new connection between art and life. He rejected the illusory world conjured by Abstract Expressionists, choosing instead to break down boundaries and reshape the potential for what art could be. Art critic, Alistair Stooke, described Rauschenberg as a ‘scavenger’ - anything had the potential to be incorporated into his art. He combined, not only newsprint, but any material from every-day life into his work – mirrors, wheels, electric fans, lightbulbs, even socks. In this sense, the vast bank of commercial material available to him, taken directly from the public sphere, also made his work inherently egalitarian – an embodiment of American democracy.
Monogram, 1955-59
But, the inclusion of pieces such as Monogram in this exhibition, illustrates how Rauschenberg’s work was also essentially abstract. This sculpture features a stuffed Angorian goat, bought second hand from an office supply shop. It took four years to complete as he struggled with the goat, which he claimed ‘refused to be abstracted’. But, the final product is nothing short of striking – a true abstract masterpiece. It’s evident how Rauschenberg built upon foundations laid by the great Abstract Expressionists, seeking alternative ways to present the world. However, more recently works like Monogram have also been echoed in pieces by those such as Damien Hirst.
Short Circuit, 1955
Stylistically, Rauschenberg’s work was certainly radical, but its content was often playfully rebellious, too. In 1955, he submitted Short Circuit for an annual exhibition at Stable Gallery, New York. Although his work was accepted, his friends Jasper Johns and Susan Weil were unsuccessful. Rauschenberg decided to smuggle their works in, behind the hinged doors featured in this piece. Short Circuit is clearly one of his more personal works, but its presence in this exhibition also highlights Rauschenberg’s reluctance to play by the rules.
First Time Painting, 1961
Fascinated by the relationship between objects and actions, Rauschenberg brought ideas of performance into his studio-based work. Collaborating with composers, such as John Cage, and dancers, like Steve Paxton, he sought to make multi-media art which brought many artistic disciplines into synthesis. On display, is his 1961 piece First Time Painting – created in front of an audience, Rauschenberg sat so they couldn’t see the canvas, only his face, whilst listening to the brushstrokes through microphones. Rauschenberg painted until the alarm clock, fixed into the canvas, went off. The next day, the painting was displayed for all to see. The performance aspect to Rauschenberg’s work invests it with a textured quality, achieved not only through his application of paint but through the layering of activity.
Retrospective II, 1969
As the exhibition progresses, it is clear how Rauschenberg’s art became increasingly American. At the height of the Cold War, his work seems to embody the tragedy and triumph of the 1960s. This is particularly evident in his piece Retroactive II, featuring the recently deceased J.F Kennedy and distinctive imagery from the Space Race. Equally, in 1969, Rauschenberg was given the opportunity to become more personally involved, when he was asked to create a drawing of a microchip; the first work of art to travel to the moon.
Since kick-starting his career in the 1950s, Rauschenberg managed to change the course of American art forever. The Tate has taken on a gigantic task with this exhibition, creating the first full-scale retrospective since the artist’s death in 2008. But, in bringing Rauschenberg, the man and his legacy centre stage, it’s a comprehensive and truly sensational tribute to an exceptional artistic pioneer.
