Encounters with Rauschenberg: (A Lavishly Illustrated Lecture)

Encounters with Rauschenberg: (A Lavishly Illustrated Lecture) by Steinberg, Leo. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780226771830.

In his insightful and engrossing lecture, Leo Steinberg surveys and critiques the work of Robert Rauschenberg, one of the great American post-war artists. He also discusses his own experience as a critic in the exciting and turbulent art world of New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The result is a rare glimpse not only into Rauschenberg, but also into Steinberg. With the sharpness and confidence that can only come from a critic who has long been involved with Rauschenbergs work, Steinberg offers an in-depth discussion of such major pieces as the Erased DeKooning Drawing, Bed, and Monogram. He explains the subtle differences between his interpretations and those of other critics, such as Clement Greenberg and Hilton Kramer. He candidly reflects on how he has changed his mind over the years, and defends his new ideas about Rauschenbergs work with precise, fresh arguments. He critically evaluates Rauschenbergs more recent work and addresses how it falls short from the artists earlier work. From Rauschenbergs silk-screen prints of the 1960s to the vegetable dye transfer prints of the 1990s, Steinberg warns against the dangers of overinterpretation and iconographic enthusiasm. He argues that the unifying strand through this great artists work is his drive to appropriate, to take objects and images from the world and make them his own by making them become a part of his art. Provocative, intelligent, and beautifully articulated, Steinbergs words shed light on one remarkable artist and on the post-war New York art scene, on Steinbergs particular appreciation of Rauschenberg and on his lifes work as an art critic.