Goodbye, Mr. Rauschenberg

I took Bob Rauschenberg as a hero in college. I think, originally, I just really loved his work. His pieces, like so much of the art I love, appeared to me as something I had always dreamed of...but never seen...and then they were there. Then, the more I learned about him, specifically his collaboration with John Cage and Merce Cunningham, he became a figure of possibility for me. He represents a lack of limitation; an artist can do anything with his/her chosen medium/ia. And yet, despite the infinite meanings they convey, his work is tightly controlled, limited in the best way. Each piece has its rules, its subjective meaning for Rauschenberg, which may or may not be conveyed to us as he meant them, but surely SOMETHING is conveyed.

Thank you, Mr. Rauschenberg.