Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1925-2008
Preview
Date of Work
1973
Medium
Lithograph
Edition #
71/100
Signature
Lower right
Height
37 1/4" (framed)
Width
29 3/8" (framed)
Collection/Provenance
From For Meyer Schapiro: A portfolio of twelve signed prints by twelve artists. Published by The Committee to Endow a Chair in Honor of Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) at Columbia University.
Art & Design Study Collection
Status
On display: Third floor
Location
Memorial Union
Artist Bio
Robert Rauschenberg, who often collaborated with music composer John Cage, dance choreographer Merce Cunningham, and fellow-artist Jasper Johns, utilized collage techniques through which he infused elements of everyday life into his compositions. His initial appropriations of newsprint and many other things from mass culture preceded the Pop Art movement. He is often referred to as a Neo-Dadaist.
Additional Information
Student composed text panel:
Robert Rauschenberg (American 1925-2008)
No-name Elephant, 1973
Lithograph
UND Art Collections: Art & Design Study Collection
Purchased with funds from the Myers Foundations.
Robert Rauschenberg was a prominent artist who worked with painting, photography, sculpture, performance, and other types of fine arts for six decades. His art came to life during the time when Abstract Expressionism was up and coming. Rauschenberg was one of the first artists to use the techniques of collage to create his pieces. His unique expression of art also included collaboration with other artists like musicians and choreographers. Two prominent names that inspired Rauschenberg were John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Rauschenberg used elements of everyday life to inspire his collage techniques.
No-Name Elephant is a good example of his use of collage techniques. The piece is very faint, using lots of white scraps of paper with some dark ink on it, giving the effect of anonymity.
This artwork is from a portfolio of original prints published in recognition of Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996), a distinguished art historian who was very much appreciated by major contemporary artists of his day.
In 1974, a committee was formed to establish a Chair in Art History at Columbia University in Schapiro's honor. The portfolio, published in an edition of 100, was produced to raise funds to support the Chair. UND’s set of portfolio prints are numbered 71/100.
From Inventory Sheet:
Rauschenberg (1925-2008), who often collaborated with musician John Cage and fellow artist Jasper Johns, utilized collage techniques through which he incorporated elements of everyday life into his compositions. The print on display is from the Meyer Schapiro portfolio.
From text panel:
"During the mid 1950s, developments occurred in art that were influenced by the spirit of the earlier Dada movement (which had its origins in the World War I era). Neo-Dadaist Robert Rauschenberg, who often collaborated with musician John Cage and fellow-artist Jasper Johns, utilized collage techniques through which he incorporated elements of everyday life (such as newsprint and other materials from popular culture) into his compositions.
The artwork on display by Rauschenberg is from the Meyer Schapiro print portfolio. While dating from the 1970s ,it continues to reflect the spirit of Neo-Dada (a trend that Rauschenberg helped to originate about two decades earlier) as well as Pop Art."
Condition
Excellent
Rights
Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”