Dry Cell 1963

Here we see Rauschenberg playing with wire, Perspex and found objects to create ‘Dry Cell.’ The linear framework, like a 3D drawing in space, almost eclipses the objects contained within it. The materials Rauschenberg uses seem to be whispering of their former lives: the utilitarian battery, the printed circuit board, the blurred image of a helicopter. Everything is muted, veiled by the translucency of the Perspex and by the patina of time. The shadow cast on the wall behind is as much a part of the piece as the materials from which it is constructed. I love the way that the shadow extends the linear logic of the form, transforming this small, intricate sculpture into something monumental. Rauschenberg was a master of juxtaposition, bringing together disparate objects and images to create new meanings. Think of Kurt Schwitters, with his collages made from found ephemera, or even Duchamp, and his readymades. Art is just the echo of other art.