Robert Rauschenberg: Cardboards and Related Pieces (Menil Collection)

Robert Rauschenberg: Cardboards and Related Pieces (Menil Collection)

<div><div>Robert Rauschenberg (b. 1925) began to investigate the boundaries between painting and sculpture in the 1950s, working with a variety of found objects in his Combine paintings and freestanding <I>Combines</I>. Later, in his Cardboard series (1971--72), he confined himself to the use of cardboard boxes, eliminating virtually all imagery, reducing the palette to a near monochrome, and commenting in subtle ways on the materialism and disposability of modern life. This book is the first to focus exclusively on Rauschenberg€s rarely seen <I>Cardboards,</I> along with related works from his Made in Tampa Clay, Cardbirds, Egyptian, and Venetian series.<br>Approximately eighty-eight <I>Cardboards</I> and related sculptural pieces, many from the artist€s personal collection, are reproduced in the book. Full provenance and exhibition history are provided for each work, along with a complete bibliography. In addition, distinguished scholar Yve-Alain Bois offers an insightful essay that discusses the <I>Cardboards</I> and situates these lesser-known but critical pieces within the context of Rauschenberg€s long and creative career.</div></div>