Raoul Hausmann, Mechanical Head (Spirit of Our Age)
Raoul Hausmann, ABCD, 1923-1924
Robert Rauschenberg, Charlene, 1954
Robert Rauschenberg, Monogram, 1955-59
Rob Fischer, Mirrored Boat (Disappearing Boat), 1998 (source)
Mark Dion, New England Digs Project, 2001
Mark Dion, New England Digs Project, 2001
Rob Fischer, Mirrored House on Water, 2007 (source)
I've been looking through Art in America articles from the early 1960's, in order to see if the writers attempt to come to terms with the supposed transition between the modern and contemporary periods. In comparing Johns and Rauschenberg to the abstract expressionists (only since they came right before) it can appear to me as if their practices came out of nowhere--this is why the concept of transition interested me. But Tom Crow's text from Modern Art in the Common Culture reminded me that while the practices of these two artists may seem drastically different in response to abstract expressionism, they are making use of techniques that had been around since the European avant-garde--namely, assemblage and the recycling of mass-produced images. That is why they are called Neo-Dada after all.
My original question of "where did this come from" seems to be echoed in a lot of the articles I've read in Art in America. Within pages and pages of abstract expressionist paintings there are brief mentions of this new practice of assemblage attributed to Rauschenberg and Johns, citing their work from the mid-late 50's. They don't exactly seem to agree with Greenberg's final paragraph in "after abstract expressionism" but they do approach it as if it were something quite alien in my opinion. Some interesting concepts that I keep coming across are that "now art can be anything (now being 1960)," and that as of 1960 American art was "moving back towards order" which was also stated to be a reflection of the political climate and American sentiment. I see this as a possible starting point for a project that involves looking at the aftermath of the rise of the American art market with abstract expressionism and its relationship to the kind of anxiety Rauschenberg and Johns were creating. I think focusing on Rauschenberg's early work might be a way to do this, though I am hesitant to work on such a "big name." I would be interested in looking at his work in terms of his role in a transition, but this would just be the starting point.
This is brings me to the concept of assemblage and how it has changed over time. While it may have begun within the European avant-garde, it was taken to an entirely different level with pop art. Now, it might seem silly to even bring up the topic of assemblage, since, as was discussed in a previous post, "new media" art supposedly allows for anything. The newness of mixed-media has certainly expired (good, because I hate that word, its so vague). However, with this post I make the proposition that the specific lineage of assemblage art has in fact been carried on in the contemporary period within the category of green art. The very fact of recycling materials taking center stage in some artists' practices is an entirely new motivation for an old concept--that of assemblage. The "everyday object" now has a very urgent and specific message.
My original question of "where did this come from" seems to be echoed in a lot of the articles I've read in Art in America. Within pages and pages of abstract expressionist paintings there are brief mentions of this new practice of assemblage attributed to Rauschenberg and Johns, citing their work from the mid-late 50's. They don't exactly seem to agree with Greenberg's final paragraph in "after abstract expressionism" but they do approach it as if it were something quite alien in my opinion. Some interesting concepts that I keep coming across are that "now art can be anything (now being 1960)," and that as of 1960 American art was "moving back towards order" which was also stated to be a reflection of the political climate and American sentiment. I see this as a possible starting point for a project that involves looking at the aftermath of the rise of the American art market with abstract expressionism and its relationship to the kind of anxiety Rauschenberg and Johns were creating. I think focusing on Rauschenberg's early work might be a way to do this, though I am hesitant to work on such a "big name." I would be interested in looking at his work in terms of his role in a transition, but this would just be the starting point.
This is brings me to the concept of assemblage and how it has changed over time. While it may have begun within the European avant-garde, it was taken to an entirely different level with pop art. Now, it might seem silly to even bring up the topic of assemblage, since, as was discussed in a previous post, "new media" art supposedly allows for anything. The newness of mixed-media has certainly expired (good, because I hate that word, its so vague). However, with this post I make the proposition that the specific lineage of assemblage art has in fact been carried on in the contemporary period within the category of green art. The very fact of recycling materials taking center stage in some artists' practices is an entirely new motivation for an old concept--that of assemblage. The "everyday object" now has a very urgent and specific message.
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