Juxtapose Odyssey

The surroundings in which an artist is exposed to profoundly impacts the way their art is created and viewed. Robert Rauschenberg used his surroundings in more literal ways, finding importance in his viewings that others might not acknowledge at first sight. He then chose to enhance most of his creations with bold pigment. This Abstract Expressionist gathered his vast amount of mediums through the beauty of life. “Combined art is his founded style that separates him from artists in the same field. Rauschenberg arranged intriguing findings closely together to create contrasting effects and interesting collaborations.  

As Rauschenberg grew as an artist, so did the complexity and meaning in his works. He created these pieces by choosing to incorporate details in his life and the locations in which he was exposed to. Along with this, he was granted NASA information that was not open to the public. The Juxtapose Odyssey, involving selected artwork that acknowledges Rauschenberg growth as an artist, exposes the experiences he was faced with in his life. This exhibit begins with street signs and the exposure of his everyday life. He used a vast amount of mediums such as street metal, found objects, oil paint, lithography, silkscreen, canvas and many more, complimenting his pieces as well as grabbing the publics attention. It then escalates to in depth lithography including confidential information given to Rauschenberg by NASA. This gave him the opportunity to make incredibly unique pieces using unseen NASA photographs and documents while referencing Florida’s landscapes and culture. The Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI) was then created promoting world peace and understanding; while exposing Rauschenberg to new areas and interesting cultures along with new mediums. The work created for ROCI China and Japan promoted the strongest sense of signs and lively culture. He used their Xuan paper, cultural found objects, pigmented ink-jet, silk, gold leaf and many more. Rauschenberg’s many talents allowed him to create a large amount of art work that is seen and honored by the public to this day. 

-Melissa Perez & Sean Ferrer