Soviet American Array VII 1991

Editor: Here we have Robert Rauschenberg’s "Soviet American Array VII" from 1991, a mixed-media piece combining print, collage, and photography, and acrylic on canvas. I’m immediately struck by the grid structure and the high-contrast colours. It feels fragmented, like snapshots of different worlds pieced together. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Indeed. Note how the geometric organization provides a structural underpinning. Observe the tension established by juxtaposing disparate images. What relationships might be derived from the co-location of a cityscape, mechanical gears and a human tableau? Editor: That's interesting. The textures also vary a lot, and I see text appearing within the work. I think what I notice most is the color that makes everything seem very optimistic. Curator: The choice of bold colours such as we see here and stark contrasting colours is no accident. Observe how Rauschenberg's employment of color serves to emphasize certain elements of the compositions. What elements become enhanced because of color selection? Editor: The top layer which almost feels translucent and dreamy. It softens what could be rigid. Curator:Precisely. Moreover, contemplate how the use of layering disrupts any clear hierarchy of images, thus complicating our reading. Editor: I see that, making it much more interesting than it would be if the elements were laid out in a grid. Curator: It does more than simply create interest. In a formalist view, this is to generate a visual dialectic. Consider how these visual forms work together to create meanings outside any representational context. Editor: That makes me see the work in a new light – no need to find some specific interpretation for all of this; it’s more about experiencing how all these elements combine. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Focus upon form and composition can deepen appreciation for the work.