2/15/2006

Robert Rauschenberg

One of my favorite modern artists is Robert Rauschenberg. "Rauschenberg began making silkscreen paintings in 1962. He would screen-print images from books and magazines, along with his own photographs, onto the canvas, then apply painterly brushstrokes reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism. His intention was to escape the familiarity of objects and college. The images are organized in a loose, poetic manner, creating an impression of visual flux that allows the viewer to free-associate." I enjoy that fact, that his images are loose and open to interpretation. While the imagery may be loosely organized his compositions are extremely sophisticated. While they may look easy to create, his style can be challenging to emulate in your own work. Rauschenberg's work does translate fairly well to Photoshop, many of his screen printing and other techniques can be created using various Photoshop techniques. Our next large project will be to create a digital collage that attempts to recreate Rauschenberg's style. Before starting your own project take the time to examine some of the following of Rauschenberg's compositions. *You can click on the images to see a larger version of them.


On a sheet of paper, find the following objects among the compositions. Write the item and the corresponding letter(S) after it. Then choose one image to write about. Write an analysis of how Rauschenberg uses the elements and principles of art to create areas of contrast that move the viewers eyes around the composition. This should be written as a complete and well thought out paragraph.
THIS ASSIGNMENT IS WORTH 50 POINTS AND WILL BE GRADED FOR GRAMMAR


1. Bicycle
2. Baseball
3. Astronaut
4. Clock
5. Airplane
6. George Bush
7. American Flag
8. Wind Mill
9. Goat
10. Rail Road Sign
11. Convertible VW Bug
12. Helicopter
13. John F Kennedy



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