Rauschenberg Combines

MigrationrrNews of Robert Rauschenberg's passing reminds me of how much I have admired his work and his enthusiasm for found materials -- particularly his "Combines." I can relate to the fact that "He loved making something out of nothing." In fact, I've always liked the way the verb "combines" becomes a noun by virtue of his work. What a life, what a body of work, what an inspiration... He is quoted as saying, "I don't really trust ideas, especially good ones. Rather I put my trust in the materials that confront me, because they put me in touch with the unknown." At left is "Migration," from 1959, a combine: oil, paper, fabric, printed reproductions, printed paper, and wood on canvas.