Section 7 – Soviet/American Array: Part II, Cacophony of Cultures
Soviet experimental, or “unofficial,” artists long shared with Rauschenberg a passion for examining the discordant world of the commonplace with microscopic clarity, poetry, and political awareness.
Together with Rauschenberg, these artists draw us into shimmering surfaces where we become part of an array of images of the everyday world, which constructs and mirrors us and our life.
The strongest thing about my work…is the fact that I chose to ennoble the ordinary. – Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg, Wild Strawberry Eclipse (Urban Bourbon), 1988. Acrylic and enamel on galvanized metal and mirrored aluminum, 84 3/4 x 193 x 2 inches (215.27 x 490.22 x 5.08 cm). Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York, New York. © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation / Licensed by VAGA, New York, New York.
Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Faux-Tapis), 1995. Collaged fabric on bonded aluminum panels, 128 1/2 x 121 x 2 inches (326.4 x 307.3 x 5.08 cm). Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York, New York. © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation / Licensed by VAGA, New York, New York.
Shimon Okshteyn, There are many forms but few classics, 1988. Neon and screenprint on stainless steel, 80 1/8 x 124 1/8 inches (203.5 x 315 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Gift of Robert E. Falcone, 1998.21.10. © Shimon Okshteyn.