Robert Rauschenberg's Former Home

Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg, was born October 22, 1925, in Port Arthur Texas. Outside of his artistry, Rauschenberg lived a very storied life, which would likely inspire his body of work. His vocations varied from minister, to pharmacist, to neuropsychiatric technician when he served in World War II. Only in 1947, when Robert had completed his service in the U.S. Navy, was he able to pursue art.

Rauschenberg’s reach in his contemporary art world was incredibly wide, as he never shied away from working in new mediums, and with new subject matters. This broad reach allowed Robert to maintain a fluid identity, and he didn’t tie himself down to one area or body of work. Moreover, Robert’s pursuit of art was rather restless, consisting of constant traveling, as he would quickly tire of local scenes and seek out fresh new themes and artists. This travel would functionally allow Rauschenberg to learn, and evolve his style. In his entry into the Abstract Expressionist art scene, Rauschenberg would grow his name and notoriety through challenging the common trends within the scene.

The ‘Combine’ was Rauschenberg’s most iconic contribution to the world of art. In short, Rauschenberg’s Combines were hybrids between sculpture and painting. The end result would be a collage of two dimensional, and three dimensional art. These pieces were not complex technically, they harkened back to Duchamp’s readymade, often using random manufactured objects rather than handmade sculpture. Rauschenberg himself would however go the extra mile with his Combines, and work with professionals in order to mend and alter unique materials, and push the limit of his image.This combination shook the art world,and allowed Rauschenberg to create commentaries on the world around him in his idealized image.Combines managed to put Rauschenberg at the head of a movement among his contemporaries, and blooming artists by creating a conversation about how art, and it’s definition could be restructured, and allowed artists a new avenue away from traditional methods of art.

Vidar, Sara. “Robert Rauschenberg.” Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2020. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=88802146&site=eds-live&scope=site

     This article covers a wealth of information regarding Robert Rauschenberg. The article includes sections such as his early life, his life’s work, and his significance. The information provided in the article is thorough and allows readers to draw conclusions between his life experiences and his work. Additionally, the article includes a bibliography of sources used to gather the present information. The article proves useful in it’s thorough coverage of Rauschenberg’s life and description of his base of work.

The article was found by searching ‘Robert Rauschenberg’ using the UCF OneSearch feature.

Meyer, Richard. Rauschenberg, with Affection, SFMOMA. February 1st 2018. Accessed March 1st 2021. https://www.sfmoma.org/essay/rauschenberg-affection/.

     This Article goes in depth on Robert Rauschenberg’s relationship with fellow artist Jasper Johns. The article covers their intimacies, their work together, and their interactions with the public. Interviews, and recorded conversations between Johns, and Rauschenberg are used in the article. This Article is valuable due to it’s depth and personal look at the subject, and detailing of how an aspect of the subject’s life made him stand out in his time, additionally, the article’s use of interviews proves credible.

The article was found by searching ‘Robert Rauschenberg’ using the UCF OneSearch feature