Chinese Summerhall 1983

Robert Rauschenberg made this sculpture, Chinese Summerhall, using found materials; the process is all about assembling unexpected elements. Here, the grey, weathered wood is the star, its texture speaking of time and transformation, and the cage bars create such a strange tension between display and protection. The rough, almost brutal texture of the wood is so tactile, and then its like, "Don’t touch!" It makes you wonder about the narrative. Look closely at the way the wood grain twists and turns. It’s as if each line tells a story. Rauschenberg was a master of collage, both in two and three dimensions. Think about Kurt Schwitters, another artist who transformed the detritus of everyday life into poetic assemblages. And remember, art is never about a single meaning, but about opening up possibilities.