Robert Rauschenberg and Modern Dance, Partners for Life [Free registration may be required] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/arts/dance/14coll.html?ref=arts Rauschenberg Shifted Path of American Art [Real Player] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90411572 Metropolitan Museum of Art: Robert Rauschenberg http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Rauschenberg/images.asp Let the World In: Prints by Robert Rauschenberg http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2007/rauschenberg/index.shtm Robert Rauschenberg on De Kooning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpCWh3IFtDQ Robert Rauschenberg began his life in Port Arthur, Texas in a family where art was a decidedly uncommon experience. This past Monday Rauschenberg passed away; leaving a legacy of artistic works that includes everything from printmaking to his "combines", which bring together non-traditional materials (such as found objects) in an innovative fashion. Such combines included his 1959 "Monogram", which featured a stuffed goat, a tire, a police barrier, a shoe hell, a tennis ball, and paint. Rauschenberg spent much of his career responding to and moving away from the Abstract Expressionists, and he also helped pave the way for conceptual and Pop art. His influences included the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Kurt Schwitters, and the found object works by Marcel Duchamp. Rauschenberg was known for his gregariousness and one of his playful jokes is remembered as one of the most unusual events in art history. In short, Rauschenberg found himself at the home of his friend, artist Willem de Kooning, and he informed him that he wished to erase one of his drawings. De Kooning was skeptical, but he allowed it to happen, and the work was then known as "Erased de Kooning Drawing". In his later years, when asked what kept him going, Rauschenberg replied, "I'm curious. I'm still discovering things every day." The first link will take visitors to an obituary written by San Francisco art critic Kenneth Baker. The second link leads to an interesting article from this Wednesday's New York Times, which discusses Rauschenberg's interactions with the world of modern dance. Moving on, the third link leads to a short audio news feature on Rauschenberg's work and legacy offered by National Public Radio. The fourth link leads to a selection of Rauschenberg's work which was part of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art several years ago. The fifth link will take users to an online exhibit of Rauschenberg's prints created by the National Gallery of Art. Finally, the last link leads to an intriguing clip of Rauschenberg describing his famous encounter with a drawing by Willem de Kooning.