In February 1985, the Juan March Foundation organised Robert Rauschenberg’s first solo exhibition in Spain. Now, forty years later and coinciding with the centenary of his birth, an exhibition is on display from 3 October to 18 January 2026 which reinterprets all of his work as an essentially photographic practice with the support of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
Robert Rauschenberg (Port Arthur, Texas, 1925−Captiva, Florida, 2008) started experimenting with photography during his years at Black Mountain College, under the guidance of Hazel Larsen and Aaron Siskind. In the 1950s, he incorporated press cuttings into his famous Combines, mixing painting and collage.
Later, in 1962, he started using silkscreen to transfer newspaper images directly onto canvas in his silkscreen paintings. Although he initially used photos from the press, he chose to work mainly with his own snapshots from 1979 onwards. His way of obtaining the images was not only an evolution in his techniques but it also reflected his notion of random order, a visual organisation with a lack of hierarchy.
The exhibition traces the key moments of his career, from him entering the Black Mountain College in 1949 until the creation of the Ruminations series in 1999 with autobiographical overtones.
Image Credit:
Robert Rauschenberg examining a contact sheet at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 1991. Photo: © Sidney B. Felsen
