Robert Rauschenberg's engagement with photography began in the late 1940s under the tutelage of Aaron Siskind and Hazel Larsen Archer at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Their combined influence was so great that for a time Rauschenberg was unsure whether to pursue painting or photography as a career. Instead he chose both. This volume gathers and surveys Rauschenberg's numerous uses of photography for the first time. It includes portraits of friends, studio shots, photographs used in the 'Combines' series, silkscreens, photographs of lost works and works in progress, allowing us to re-imagine almost the entirety of the artist's work in light of his always inventive uses of photography, while also supplying previously unseen glimpses into his social nexus of the 1950s and 60s.

A superbly produced collection of photographs by one of America's most important 20th-century artists

About the Author
Susan Davidson is Senior Curator, Collections & Exhibitions, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim, and is also aTrustee of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. DavidWhite was the curator for Robert Rauschenberg from 1980 until the artist's death in 2008, and continues in that capacity with his Estate.

Reviews
'A convincing argument for placing this largely unsung facet of Rauschenberg's talent at the heart of his oeuvre' - Metro
'Essential reading for anyone interested in Rauschenberg's life and work' - Amateur Photographer
'Portraits of friends such as Jasper Johns and Cy Twombly ... extraordinary studies of light and pattern' - Sunday Telegraph
'One of the best books I've seen all year' - Black and White Photography



Book Information
ISBN 9780500544006
Author Susan Davidson
Format Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1700g