Al Taylor, who began as a painter and also worked as a set design assistant and studio assistant to Robert Rauschenberg, made drawings and sculptures that blurred the boundaries between two- and three-dimensional space. A 1980 trip to Africa, where he saw children fashioning toys from trash, inspired him to make constructions out of materials like broomsticks, wood slats, wire, and Styrofoam. Pet Stain Removal Device #1 (1988–89) is typical of Taylor's humor—a piece of plywood painted with a black "stain" is suspended from a wood and aluminum contraption. Taylor is also known for bringing charm and humor to the austerity of Process Art.