Robert Rauschenberg: The Use of Images Solo exhibition celebrating Rauschenberg's centennial

In February 1985, the Fundación Juan March organized the first Robert Rauschenberg exhibition in Spain. Forty years later, this exhibition analyzes a structural element in the artist’s work: the use of images and photography. Rauschenberg started using a camera at Black Mountain College, and in the 1950s, he collaged press clippings into his Combines (1954-1964). In 1962, he began using silkscreen to transfer images directly onto canvas. In both cases, he repurposed photographs published in the press, but starting in 1979 he shifted to using his own snapshots. This was a novel approach for Rauschenberg, resulting in the development of this artistic technique and new opportunities to disrupt traditional hierarchies and embrace concepts of random order.

Throughout the Centennial year and beyond, exhibitions around the world will present tributes to Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008). By opening up the artist’s legacy to present-day interpretation, the Centennial embraces different understandings, forges cross-disciplinary connections, and creates opportunities for critical exchange.