Robert Rauschenberg Topaz Roll, 1979

Topaz Roll (1979) is part of a series of works on paper Robert Rauschenberg realised alongside his large-scale Spreads series, between 1975 and 1983. In it, the artist uses an innovative solvent transfer technique, which he first developed in the 1950s. Soaking source images from magazines and other print media in a solvent, he then used a lithographic press to transfer his chosen images onto the support. Above the pictures, which appear as ghostly mirror-images of the original, the artist applies squares of fabric, creating multiple layers of colour and texture that are all visible at once.