Rauschenberg

The proto-pop artist Robert Rauschenberg died yesterday. Known for his assemblage works (which he called "combines"), Rauschenberg was one of the American visual artists whose work in the 1950s and -60s reacted to gestural abstract expressionism (you know, like Pollock). Rauschenberg was also an influence on the Fluxus movement of the 1960s. Oh yeah, and he and Jasper Johns were luhh-vers! Of course, most art history sources nonchalantly refer to Johns and Rauschenberg as "friends." (Yes, believe it or not, these two male painters of the 1960s who lived together for six years were GAY.)

Anyway, I like Rauschenberg's work, especially the mid-'50s stuff like Rebus (1955), above (image stolen from some online poster store -- forgive me). But I also love the fierce, early '50s stuff it was reacting against.