Patrician Barnacle (Scale) 1981

"Patrician Barnacle (Scale)," a 1981 work by Robert Rauschenberg, exemplifies the artist's signature "combine paintings" style. This mixed-media artwork features a wooden ladder and a large, rectangular panel covered in a collage of different textures and images, including wallpaper, photographs, and printed materials. Rauschenberg's work is known for its playful exploration of found objects and its challenging of traditional art boundaries. The use of a ladder in the piece adds a dimension of accessibility and a sense of the artist's process, while the various textures and imagery create a visually engaging and thought-provoking composition.