Robert Rauschenberg, RIP

Robert Rauschenberg, a pioneer of multimedia art in the truest sense of the phrase, died last night. He was 82.

"It is impossible to have progress without conscience." -Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008).


Link to NYT obit, Link to Wikipedia entry (Thanks, Jeff Cross!)

[#1 posted by William Joseph Dunn , May 13, 2008 9:49 AM]

I was really saddened to hear about Rauschenberg's passing this morning. Robert Rauschenberg is one of my favorite artists and a huge influence on my work even now. At least he left an amazing body of work behind.

[#2 posted by Gwynnywonk , May 13, 2008 10:08 AM]

Aw, no! Rauschenberg is a huge hero to a lot of people in my art department. Many of us work with mixed media, and of course Rauschenberg is essential to the mixed media timeline. He also owned a pet kinkajou, which is the most fantastic artist's pet ever to exist. His presence will be missed, but his art will live on.

[#3 posted by Art , May 13, 2008 11:17 AM]

The arts have truly lost one of the modern masters.

Sad to hear the news.

[#4 posted by spasticllama , May 13, 2008 11:29 AM]

Any bets on what his tombstone will look like? Perhaps I could cobble something together with some old newspaper, a dunkin donuts receipt, a beer bottle, and a stuffed chicken, painted black, hanging from a rope?

Just to be clear, I actually do like Rauschenberg's work and I suggest you check it out at the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA if you live near Los Angeles.

[#5 posted by clueless in brooklyn , May 13, 2008 11:37 AM]

RIP Robert.

A true pioneer and a true inspiration to the way I have approached art for nearly 20 years.

He might've appreciated comments about what his tombstone might look like, but I don't.

[#6 posted by William Joseph Dunn , May 13, 2008 11:41 AM]

@SPASTICLLAMA I think Rauschenberg would get a kick out of the idea of a tombstone like that. From all the interviews and documentaries I've seen of him, he seemed to have a really good sense of humor.

I was just at that LACMA show 2 weeks ago too. They had Rauschenberg's “Canyon” and for LACMA, it was a pretty decent show.

[#7 posted by Antiglobalism , May 13, 2008 11:45 AM]

Postmodernism is so passé! Post-postmodernism is the new shit: http://www.anus.com/zine/music/claustrum/return_to_the_past_by_silence

[#8 posted by cherry shiva , May 13, 2008 12:27 PM]

no matter where we are now, he was there then, and i thank him for it. a great artist, a prankster, a fellow traveller on the road to vision.

[#9 posted by minTphresh , May 13, 2008 12:28 PM]

i had the rare privilege to meet 'mr. rauschenberg' in the early '80's whilst attending the ringling school of art and design ( now ringling college of art) . he was a friend of one of my proffessors and came to our class to do a talk and then walk us through his ( then) recent show at the ringling museum of art's modern wing. wow, what an amazing man! i think he woulda got a huge laugh out of the tombstone comment as he seemed to not only have a great sense of humor about his work ( he said he never took ANYTHING too seriously), but an amazing philosophy about life and death. what a body of work! what an inspiration for a young budding artist! R.I.P. Bob! u will be missed.

[#10 posted by Ugly Canuck , May 13, 2008 2:00 PM]

Warhol called this guy the best living Artist, its somewhere in Warhol's Diaries, IIRC.

[#11 posted by haaz , May 13, 2008 2:57 PM]

Wow, was scrolling down the front page on BB, and just as the host of NPR's "All Things Considered" started to pronounce Rauschenberg's name, his name came up on my screen -- at exactly the same time. Is something trying to tell me someone?

[#12 posted by minTphresh , May 13, 2008 4:04 PM]

#11(HAAZ) effin LOL! ain't synchronicity a bitch?

[#13 posted by Maddy , May 13, 2008 5:45 PM]

I went to school with his nephew, and he broadened my then Rockewell-esque world view ...

[#14 posted by sequarious , May 14, 2008 12:51 PM]

I admire the work of Robert. I met him some time ago at a reception for his exhibit at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. He is a great artist and left us w/an incredible volume of work. I will miss him...