Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Rauschenberg was an American artist who was born in 1925. He was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and Leonardo da Vinci World Awards of Arts, however he wasn't known for photography primarily, but his paintings and graphic arts (1). Yet, he was a photographer before he was a painter, but then went on to become a painter. He later returned to photography (2).
In the book 'Robert Rauschenberg Photographs' (1981) is the first book in which the artist chose to display his images.
"These everyday images, framed in black, set in motion an interplay of shapes in which the human form is integrated to a rigorous yet flamboyant sense of design, pictures in which art and real life coincide" (2)
This image, just like the rest of Rauschenberg's images are shot in full frame, allowing a lot of detail to be shown. The tones are rather flat with little contrast, giving the image a softer look. The title suggests that this photograph is of the items somebody is trying to sell at a market. They appear used because of the worn down boots with marks etched into them and a lack of shine. The wheels displayed next to the boots again show wear and tear in the scratches of the paintwork and marks on the tire. The way they're laid out on a spread out blanket reminds me of the modern day car boot sales. To me, while viewing in the modern day, it shows that while time passes and technology progresses, some things remain the same. This is like my work with horses; there's so much history behind them and they have been with us for so long and yet we still have the same love for them hundreds of years later.
This image holds a wide range of textures such as the contrast between the wood, the wall and the tin. The shadows created by shooting in strong light in conjunction with these textures give the image the depth that make it that bit more interesting. The direct approach in this image allows us, the audience, do have a clear view of what the artist is wanting to show us. It appears to be a work bench, with strokes of paint all over the wood and a vice attached on the right side, so we can assume that the worker is a very manual laborer. The boxes underneath then become things that can hold the tools for this worker, and judging by the spiderwebs hooked on the legs of the bench, it seems to be placed outside which would be likely as Florida, where it was taken, rarely gets cold and so working outside all year wouldn't be a problem. Most of the image is rather plain, and so the eye is drawn towards the pattern on the tin which holds an intricate tree pattern. The way that it's shot with an aperture that allows all of the image to be in focus suggests that everything shown is of equal importance to the worker; nothing is left out apart from the person themselves. The way that there is nothing but this tin on the bench could mean that the worker is a very tidy person, or doesn't have anything in progress at the moment. This makes for a very isolated atmosphere.
The book has an interview with the artist in the front pages, in which he explains how he doesn't 'desire a perfect photograph'
He basically explains that images that are shot 'wrong' or not typically can still make an interesting photograph, despite not being conventional. He sees photography like painting; no cropping or manipulation but being able to see the whole thing in full, and to get an interesting whole image he sits patiently until whatever he wishes to capture is there in truth.
Within this book he presents a number of still life images, which indicate a narrative unspoken.
Rome Flea Market, 1952 (II)
This image, just like the rest of Rauschenberg's images are shot in full frame, allowing a lot of detail to be shown. The tones are rather flat with little contrast, giving the image a softer look. The title suggests that this photograph is of the items somebody is trying to sell at a market. They appear used because of the worn down boots with marks etched into them and a lack of shine. The wheels displayed next to the boots again show wear and tear in the scratches of the paintwork and marks on the tire. The way they're laid out on a spread out blanket reminds me of the modern day car boot sales. To me, while viewing in the modern day, it shows that while time passes and technology progresses, some things remain the same. This is like my work with horses; there's so much history behind them and they have been with us for so long and yet we still have the same love for them hundreds of years later.
Fort Myers, Florida
This image holds a wide range of textures such as the contrast between the wood, the wall and the tin. The shadows created by shooting in strong light in conjunction with these textures give the image the depth that make it that bit more interesting. The direct approach in this image allows us, the audience, do have a clear view of what the artist is wanting to show us. It appears to be a work bench, with strokes of paint all over the wood and a vice attached on the right side, so we can assume that the worker is a very manual laborer. The boxes underneath then become things that can hold the tools for this worker, and judging by the spiderwebs hooked on the legs of the bench, it seems to be placed outside which would be likely as Florida, where it was taken, rarely gets cold and so working outside all year wouldn't be a problem. Most of the image is rather plain, and so the eye is drawn towards the pattern on the tin which holds an intricate tree pattern. The way that it's shot with an aperture that allows all of the image to be in focus suggests that everything shown is of equal importance to the worker; nothing is left out apart from the person themselves. The way that there is nothing but this tin on the bench could mean that the worker is a very tidy person, or doesn't have anything in progress at the moment. This makes for a very isolated atmosphere.
Sources:
1. Robert Rauschenberg, Tate, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/robert-rauschenberg-1815
2. 'Robert Rauschenberg Photographs', Thames and Hudson, 1981
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