Centering on an important but understudied period of Robert Rauschenberg’s work, this book explores the artist’s innovative use of cloth in the 1970s. Fascinated by the expressive potential of textiles, including silk, gauze, cheesecloth, and drop cloths, Rauschenberg experimented with the ability of woven materials to capture color and light, hold printed images, and move in the air.
The catalogue focuses on three series that feature fabric in some way: the idiosyncratic Venetians, 1972–73, the gauzy Hoarfrosts, 1974–76, and the large, simple Jammers, 1975–76. New scholarly essays contextualize Rauschenberg’s work with cloth in the history of 1970s late modernism and Postminimalism, as well as his career-long interest in the intersection of art and the body through his work in scenography and costumes for dance.
Organized on the occasion of the artist’s 100th birthday and facilitated by close consultation with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, this is the first museum survey of Rauschenberg’s fabric works and an extension of the Menil’s long and deep history with the artist.
About the Authors
Michelle White is the senior curator at the Menil Collection.
Branden W. Joseph is the Frank Gallipoli Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art, Columbia University.
Nick Mauss is an artist and writer.
Joseph N. Newland is the director of publishing at the Menil Collection.
Details
Hardcover
204 Pages
9 x 11.5 in.
