First Draft

Born Milton Ernest Rauschenberg, later name changed to Robert,  in 1925, in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg first started out studying pharmaceutics at the University of Texas. After being drafted into the military service Robert began studying at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Academy Julian in Paris.This great American artist began transforming art in the twentieth century. Robert Rauschenberg gave new meaning to art. Cited as an important forerunner of the American Pop Art, Robert was a painter, photographer, print maker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and even an composer. Robert Rauschenberg pushed American art on to Abstract Expressionism and was known as one of the greatest artist to create print making and silk screening, among Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

In the year 1949 to 1952, Robert studied at the Arts Students League in New York., where he first started his “white” and “black paintings”. In 1952 Rauschenberg started his series of “Black Paintings” and “Red Paintings”, these paintings consisted of a collage, or as Robert called it “combines” that were then painted over. Rauschneberg immediately took this concept a step farther by attaching objects to the canvas, adding a three dimensional feel to his works. Robert’s first and most famous combine was “Monogram”, it contained a stuffed goat, a tire, a police barrier, the heel of a shoe, a tennis ball and paint. This combing sparked the beginning of the Pop Art movement. “Canyon”, another example of an combined painting. It included oil, pencil, paper, wood, metal, buttons, photographs and fabric on a canvas. Then attached to the bottom of the canvas was a stuffed eagle, a pillow and a string. This painting was a remake of Rembrandt’s “ The Rape of Ganymede’ “ (1635), that depicted an young boy being abducted by an bald eagle. The pillow in Rauschenerg’s painting represents the young boys buttocks. Robert believed this piece bought out independence of the use of random materials. Robert then turned his attention back to two dimensional painting, using magazine photographs of current events.         

By the end of 1962, Robert Rauschenberg paintings included images that were transported from a photograph onto to a canvas, known as silk screening. Rauschenberg continued experimenting printmaking, but onto new surfaces such as clothes, plexiglass and aluminum. During this period, Robert also worked on costumes and on stage designs. In the 1970’s Rauschenberg built the graphic workshop “Untitled Press, Inc. that showcased his works.Throughout the 1980’s to the 1990’s Robert constantly thought of new ways to transfer photographs. Later a Foundation was founded for Robert Rauschenberg and he was later honored with a host of prizes for his artworks and social commitment. Exhibitions were held all over the world that showed the works of The great Robert Rauschenberg.  

Andy Warhol, known as the the “Prince of Pop”,  born in 1928, was famous for painting objects of mass production such as Campbell soup cans and coke bottles. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, in 1962, Andy started making silk screen paintings of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Although Andy Warhol was a great artist he wasn’t as creative as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy kept his paintings two dimensional never stepping out of his box. Steinberg, from the Chicago University Press reports Jasper John as saying that: “Rauschenberg was the man who in this century had invented the most since Picasso”.

Jackson Pollock, born in 1912, was an influential American painter and major figure in Abstract Expressionism. Jackson was known for his “drip and splash” style. Instead of the traditional easel usage, Pollock placed his canvas to the floor and dripped paint from a can, rather than using an brush, Pollock used sticks and knives. Pollock’s sense of painting was rather different from most, he had an all-over style painting that avoided points of emphasis. In the 1960’s Pollock was named one of the most important figures of the important movement in American painting, but to a movement that was already established. Robert Rauschenberg created his own movement during his time of painting, he was considered a pioneer for developing new ideas.

Another great artist, Willem de Kooning, born in 1904, a Dutch/ American of Abstract Expressionism, was known for his large and vibrant paintings. In 1926, Willem worked as a commercial artist, window dresser, sign painter and carpenter. Through 1935 and 1939, de Kooning worked for the Federal Art Project where he painted murals. In the mid 1950’s he started the Woman series which made him famous, The Woman series was a collection of paintings that portrayed naked Woman. Once again Rauschenberg stood out by “creating the analogy between the colleagued information and human subjectivity or consciousness was an “invention” indeed, one into Picasso himself had not entered”. Chicago University Press, 2007 (1972), pg 84.