“[In the Urban Bourbon paintings, the artist activated the images with broad swipes of the brush and splashes of paint, revealing certain areas of underpainting while obliterating others. The effect is dramatic and explosive, not unlike the Combines and silkscreened paintings.”
M onumental in both scale and scope, Robert Rauschenberg’s dual-paneled Loggerhead Vanity from 1989 exemplifies the artist’s rich and varied practice. Combining silkscreened imagery with gestural paintwork on a variegated aluminum surface, the present work is an exceptional example from the Urban Bourbon series which occupied Rauschenberg for nearly a decade from 1988-1996. The series together saw the pinnacle of Rauschenberg’s experimentation with the medium, particularly with painting directly onto the aluminum surface, and is distinctive for its bold use of primary colors. The Urban Bourbon series coincided with Rauschenberg’s ‘Rocky’ project or R.O.C.I – the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange. Rauschenberg’s interest in travel and curiosity about foreign cultures underlie both his artistic collaborations and his humanitarian projects. The project is a tangible expression of the artist’s long-held belief in the power of art as a catalyst for positive social change and his ongoing commitment to human rights. On a trip between 1984 and 1991, Rauschenberg traveled to eleven countries, from France, India, China, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela and many more, all the while encountering and exploring the art-making practices unique to each of these cultures, establishing links with communities across the globe through artistic collaboration.
