Research

Robert Rauschenberg

Rauschenberg is another influential artist who used print techniques in his work, also reflecting the state of America in context of its time and expressing views on the way he saw the world.

I am a big fan of Rauschenberg, he was one of the first artists i felt i really understood when doing GCSE Art at school. I remember reading somewhere that he thought himself as a citizen of the World, and not just a citizen of America. This is something that has always stuck with me and i think that some of Rauschenbergs views and what he was trying to express through his work are very important issues and reflections of the state of the world we live in.

Like Warhol, a lot of Rauschebergs work explored themes of American culture and society, using images of recognisable popular culture and famous figures such as President Kennedy;

Retroactive I - 1964

Rauschenberg used magazine photographs to create silk screen prints, overlapping them on to canvas and adding painted brush marks, creating a collage like effect. In using images from magazines, his work commented on current affairs and contemporary society.

Earth Day - 1970

Interesting Rauschenberg Quotes:

• 'You begin with the possibilities of the material'
• 'The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history'
• 'I think a painting is more like the real world if it's made out of the real world'
• 'I wouldn't use the same colour in a picture in more than one place'