The Lithographs of Robert Rauschenberg Open Access
Brown, Sienna Elizabeth (2010)
Abstract
Abstract
The Lithographs of Robert Rauschenberg
By Sienna Elizabeth Brown
Robert Rauschenberg was one of the foremost artists of the
twentieth-century and
created hundreds of works in a variety of media. This dissertation
posits a unifying
principle for the far-reaching work made by the artist. This new
cohesive idea is termed
"the logic of printmaking." In the logic of printmaking three ideas
are combined: the
index, the flatbed picture plane, and the paired terms of
repetition and seriality.
Printmaking forms the basis for the analysis for two reasons. One,
it is in printmaking,
both Rauschenberg's early experimental prints and his lithographs,
that this logic is most
evident and most flexible; and two, the index, flatbed, repetition,
and seriality are each an
intrinsic quality of lithography and can be seen together in
Rauschenberg's work.
The three strands of the logic come from specific thinkers. The
index is
understood through the work of Charles Saunders Pierce, Rosalind
Krauss, and the
linguist Albert Atkin. Leo Steinberg proposed the flatbed picture
plane in 1972 and it is a
painting surface that is horizontal in orientation and is therefore
inherently flat. Gilles
Deleuze and his idea of repetition in which difference is inherent
best illuminate the type
of repeating performed in Rauschenberg's work. Artistic practices
that use the serial are
best understood through the work of Mel Bochner.
Chapter One, explores Rauschenberg's early work to show how the
three ideas
(index, flatbed, and repetition) work together as coherent logic of
printmaking. Chapter
Two addresses the first 8 years of Rauschenberg's lithographic
production and the
manifestation of this principle in these works. The final chapter
covers the work made
between 1970-2008. Although the artist's aesthetics changed later
in his career, the logic
of printmaking can still be seen as a defining element of his art.
Appendix I provides a
brief history of lithography and its more technical aspects.
Appendix II is a catalogue of
all 293 limited edition lithographs Rauschenberg produced.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Introduction The "Why?" of the Logic of Printmaking…………………………………. 1 Chapter One The Logic of Printmaking in Early Rauschenberg………………………… 13 Chapter Two Lithography and Painting from 1962-1970………………………………… 53 Chapter Three Later Lithographs and Paintings…………………………………………… 107 Conclusion The Logic of Printmaking after Rauschenberg……………………………. 153 Appendix I The History and Mechanics of Lithography………………………………. 158 Appendix II Rauschenberg's Limited Edition Lithographs…………………………….. 165 Bibliography………………………………………………………………. 752 Figures……………………………………………………………………...756
About this Dissertation
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The Lithographs of Robert Rauschenberg () | 2018-08-28 10:41:55 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Rauschenberg catalogue.pdf () | 2018-08-28 10:46:20 -0400 |
|