My Opinion

Upon first viewing Rauschenberg's work it appeared chaotic and a big jumble of pictures. I didn't know what to think of it or what to take from it. He had so many mediums that he dabbled in, that it was hard to follow his focus. I'm not a huge fan of abstract expressionism or of found objects being considered an art form. Then again it all depends on the story you give to it and how its changed or improved.  Some of his lithographs first appealed to me do to their simplistic and graphic nature. Only after reading through his quotes did i realize why he created what he did. Not to be pretty or for someone else to like it, but to jumble through the chaos of the time or decade and to show the world the essence of the time, even if they never lived in it. I liked the idea of thinning out the separator between art and reality and how the two can cross over. Art can be anything if it has meaning to a person. The fact that he never planned out his compositions baffled me. They seem so perfectly placed and yet completely random at the same time. One of these days I will have to let my inhibitions run free and just let the art do the talking. His creations allow for open interpretations. The meaning is not clearly written out nor is the image itself. We all get different things out of art. Rauschenberg completed a huge variety of things when it came to the arts. I have never seen such an extensive range of artistic talent before. Sure somethings might not be considered true talent like tying a piece of cloth or putting a tire on the wall, but that's what makes his stuff so interesting. When I heard he erased a de Kooning drawing I thought he was nuts, that is until he explains things. Art is in the creating, not the creation. His compositions were really interesting and varied with the overlapping pictures and build up of paint. Some of my favorite works of his would have to be the Combines. They had depth and texture and became incorporated into the real world, not just a picture to stare at. He wasn't trying to be different or original. In fact I'm not so sure he cared. He just made art because it made him content.