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Lot Essay
One of the undisputed leaders of the American Avant-Garde, Robert Rauschenberg’s unceasing intellectual curiosity and creativity helped to change the course of art in the 20th century. While never fully part of any one movement, his oeuvre acts as a proverbial bridge between the ideals of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art and Conceptualism.
Rauschenberg held a strong belief in the power of art as a means of spreading positive social change and to no surprise, Rauschenberg’s passion and curiosity drove him to look outside the artistic community of New York City to find opportunities to spread awareness, gain inspiration, and impart his message through his craft. Beginning in the 1970s, Rauschenberg traveled outside the United States, creating and exhibiting work in Israel, France, and China. It was these international trips that were the catalyst for one of the most significant projects of his career—Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange, more often referred to as “ROCI.” For Rauschenberg, ROCI, which came to fruition beginning in 1984, was a global initiative to bring art and artistic discourse to disparate cultures, places rich in history and tradition but often with suppressed artistic expression. Between 1985 and 1990, ROCI took place in ten countries, including: Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the U.S.S.R., Malaysia, and Germany. In 1991, a final culminating exhibition took place at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in which the present lot was exhibited. Power Stack / ROCI VENEZUELA is a potent example of the artist’s creative vision and humanitarian passion joining forces in a work of art, creating an object imbued with cultural artifacts and lived experience. As Rauschenberg explained, “art is educating, provocative, and enlightening even when first not understood. The very creative confusion stimulates curiosity and growth, leading to trust and tolerance. To share our intimate eccentricities proudly will bring us all closer."
Rauschenberg held a strong belief in the power of art as a means of spreading positive social change and to no surprise, Rauschenberg’s passion and curiosity drove him to look outside the artistic community of New York City to find opportunities to spread awareness, gain inspiration, and impart his message through his craft. Beginning in the 1970s, Rauschenberg traveled outside the United States, creating and exhibiting work in Israel, France, and China. It was these international trips that were the catalyst for one of the most significant projects of his career—Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange, more often referred to as “ROCI.” For Rauschenberg, ROCI, which came to fruition beginning in 1984, was a global initiative to bring art and artistic discourse to disparate cultures, places rich in history and tradition but often with suppressed artistic expression. Between 1985 and 1990, ROCI took place in ten countries, including: Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the U.S.S.R., Malaysia, and Germany. In 1991, a final culminating exhibition took place at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in which the present lot was exhibited. Power Stack / ROCI VENEZUELA is a potent example of the artist’s creative vision and humanitarian passion joining forces in a work of art, creating an object imbued with cultural artifacts and lived experience. As Rauschenberg explained, “art is educating, provocative, and enlightening even when first not understood. The very creative confusion stimulates curiosity and growth, leading to trust and tolerance. To share our intimate eccentricities proudly will bring us all closer."