Robert Rauschenberg — Biography, Legacy, Famous Paintings
Art is a funny thing when you break it down. On the one hand, truly compelling artists need to break the rules and forge their own paths. After all, creativity dies in a vacuum, and it’s imperative for artists to be able to express themselves as freely as possible. On the other hand, the art world has historically not embraced radical change, instead opted to maintain its status and focus on work that has already been established.
Many ground-breaking artists became notable for going against the grain and creating art on their own terms, by their own rules. Robert Rauschenberg is one of those artists, which is why his work is so compelling and visceral even today. As one of the “bad boy” rebels of the art world, Rauschenberg ruffled more than a few feathers in his heyday, but history has proven his methods and creativity as something of a force of nature. And that’s why we’re remembering him and his work here today. As they say, fortune favors the bold.
Biography
Early Life
Rauschenberg was born Milton Earnest Rauschenberg in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas. As you might imagine, being born in this era, in this part of the country meant his parents were fundamentalist Christians.
Not much is known about his early life or how his strict Christian upbringing affected him both personally and professionally. However, we do know that he had undiagnosed dyslexia that partially prevented him from advancing his studies and forging a career in the medical field. Realistically, his lack of diagnosis likely stemmed from the fact that dyslexia was far less understood at that time. So, Rauschenberg seemingly would have had the deck stacked against him when it came to expressing himself creatively.
Education
Rauschenberg didn’t start as a renowned artist. His childhood and early educational experience weren’t marked by creative outlets and glimmers of the artist he would become later in life. Instead, Rauschenberg initially tried to enter the world of pharmacology. He was accepted into the University of Texas at Austin but quickly realized how much hard work was involved in the field. Also, having dyslexia meant it was much harder for him to study and transcribe notes, so he wound up dropping out of college.
As with most men his age at this time, Rauschenberg was drafted into the navy during World War II. He was stationed in California but didn’t see any combat. Instead, he acted as a neuropsychiatric technician at a navy hospital until the war ended and then he was discharged. During the war, Rauschenberg visited an art museum, and that visit would spark his creativity.
After the war, Rauschenberg enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute. After studying for a while there, he eventually found himself at the Academie Julian in Paris. It was also around this time when he changed his name from Milton to Robert. While in Paris, Rauschenberg met fellow artistic contemporary Susan Weil. In 1948, the pair would enroll at Black Mountain College in North Carolina.
At Black Mountain, Rauschenberg was focused on meeting the founder of the Bauhaus movement, Joseph Albers. Albers was a teacher at Black Mountain who used strict discipline for his students. Because Rauschenberg was sloppy and unkept, he hoped Albers could help him tame his disorganized ways. The experiment didn’t work, but Rauschenberg did meet John Cage, an avant-garde musician and composer who helped Robert discover more about his creative self. Cage and Rauschenberg would maintain a close friendship for decades to come.
Dance Interest
Painting, collage, and other physical art forms didn’t define the limits of Rauschenberg’s creativity. Thanks largely to his relationship with John Cage, Robert also developed a passion for dancing during his time at Black Mountain College. Because Cage used his avant-garde music as inspiration for dance and theatre, Rauschenberg also dabbled in this genre quite a bit. During the 50s and 60s, he would choreograph dance numbers for various productions, such as his first show, Pelican in 1963. As with his other artistic endeavors, Rauschenberg pushed the envelope with his dance choreography and was instrumental in helping to shape the medium with his fellow contemporaries.
Although he stopped choreographing his own work after 1967, dance would continue to be an essential part of Rauschenberg’s life for the rest of his career.
Death
Rauschenberg died of heart failure on his property on Captiva Island on May 12th, 2008.
In the waning years of his life, Rauschenberg spent much of his time in his Captiva Island, Florida property. His romantic life was as diverse and captivating as his professional one. After marrying Susan Weil and having one son with her, the couple divorced in 1953. Afterward, Rauschenberg had romantic relationships with other contemporaries, including Jasper Johns and Cy Twombly. His final partner was originally his artistic assistant, Darryl Pottorf.
The Legacy of Robert Rauschenberg
It’s hard to specify exactly how Rauschenberg left his mark on the art world, but many consider him to be a Neo-Dadaist. Dada art sought to blur the lines between art and reality by combining them in unique ways. Collages and mosaics of real-world items are a staple of this movement, and Rauschenberg certainly embraced this throughout his career.
Rauschenberg once stated, “painting relates to both art and life, and I want to work in the gap between the two.” As the saying goes, art represents life and the life represents art, and the circle goes round and round again. However, Rauschenberg didn’t want to represent both sides of the circle but instead turn it into a dot in which everything would reside.
One way that Rauschenberg learned how to blur the lines between art and reality is by working in various mediums. During his time at Black Mountain College, he dabbled in everything from sculpture to collage, to painting, to printmaking. He was a true “Jack of all Trades,” and it comes through in his pieces.
Overall, we believe that Rauschenberg’s legacy is that of a man who sought to break free from social boundaries and forge his own path. At different points in his career, he was initially scolded for breaking the norm and then later celebrated for it. As with many great artists, Rauschenberg looked at what others had done and decided to create something completely on his own. Both modern artists and individuals can learn a lesson or two from his work, namely to follow one’s instincts and to create from the heart, not the mind.
On the political side of things, Rauschenberg also fought on behalf of fellow artists, especially when their work is resold on the secondary market. An artist’s spirit and essence are in their pieces, so they should be compensated whenever it changes hands, no matter who “owned” the piece beforehand. In addition to this topic near and dear to his heart, Rauschenberg also fought for other worthy causes, such as world peace, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
Famous Works of Robert Rauschenberg
Learning about Robert Rauschenberg is only the beginning. You can submerge into his artistic wonderland with his paintings. Now, you can own a piece of art history and his legacy by purchasing one of his notable pieces. Here are a group of rare, limited edition works available at auction
This piece is screenprint on plexiglass and depicts the front of a foot and a white shell. From a rare, limited edition of 200, this is a screenprint on Plexiglass measuring 21in. by 23 x 7in including the Lucite base. Together with the panel below entitled “A Loon 1 (Chippewa)”, this work is one of ten panels from Opal Gospel, 10 American Indian Poems, by Robert Rauschenberg, 1971. The work has the hand-etched signature of the artist and comes with a letter of authenticity and guaranteed in perpetuity.
Opal Gospel — A LOON 1 (CHIPPEWA) 1971
From a rare, limited edition of 200, this is a screenprint on Plexiglass measuring 21in. by 23 x 7in including the Lucite base. Together with the panel above entitled “Opal Gospel Panel V”, this work is one of ten panels from Opal Gospel, 10 American Indian Poems, by Robert Rauschenberg, 1971. The work has the hand-etched signature of the artist and comes with a letter of authenticity and guaranteed in perpetuity.
Yoke is from Rauschenberg’s “Romance” Suite created in 1977. This highly sought-after work is from the limited edition of 37 that are hand-signed by Rauschenberg. This original lithograph in colors is on Richard de Bas, handmade blue paper and comes with a letter of authenticity and is guaranteed to be one of the original 37-unit edition in perpetuity.
Robert Rauschenberg — Plate from Photogravures Suite 1
This work is a photogravure from 1983 by Rauschenberg. From the Photogravures Suite 1 (American Mix), this is one of a limited edition of 40. The work is hand-signed, dated and numbered by the Artist, Robert Rauschenberg.
No Name (Elephant) by Robert Rauschenberg is from the rare, limited edition of 100 from the suite for Meyer Schapiro. The original suite was a virtual “who’s who” in modern art with collaborating artists: Stanley William Hayter, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Liberman,
Roy Lichtenstein, André Masson, Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg,
Robert Rauschenberg, Saul Steinberg, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol. This original lithograph on paper measures 20" x 28" and is hand-signed and numbered by Rauschenberg. The work is accompanied by a letter of authenticity and guaranteed in perpetuity.
If you are looking for artwork by Robert Rauschenberg, call us now at 267–687–8378 or leave an inquiry on Dane Fine Art. We are happy to help you find the artwork you are looking for.
Originally published at https://www.danefineart.com on October 4, 2022.