A Tribute to Robert Rauschenberg

On May 12, 2008, the artworld lost a giant and Gemini lost a very beloved friend. Robert Rauschenberg set the tone for the Gemini workshop with his arrival in 1967, and he spent the next 40 years collaborating on stunning and diverse bodies of work. Bob described his iconic first lithograph with Gemini, "Booster," as a "self portrait of inner man," but in truth each and every artwork he made was a window into his soul and a mirror onto our world. It would take an entire year for our gallery to exhibit the 250 prints and objects he produced in collaboration with Gemini; by devoting our Fall schedule to the life and work of Rauschenberg, we endeavor to honor the unique commitment that Bob made to making art in a collaborative environment.

A Tribute to Robert Rauschenberg is a survey exhibition divided into two parts. Part One: Prints, on view October 23 through December 6, 2008, highlights his print series, from the first Booster and 7 Studies (1967) through his last, the Marrakitch suite of 2000. Part Two: Objects, on view December 13, 2008 through February 7, 2009, focuses on works other than 2‐dimensional prints, all created in collaboration with the Gemini G.E.L. workshop.

Whether standing with the Gemini printers on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, or making art alongside indigenous workers in Ambert, Ahmedabad or Jingxian, Rauschenberg worked with unlimited energy and no boundaries. The Part One exhibition will include over a dozen prints, all demonstrating Rauschenberg's supreme curiosity and ability in all printmaking media including lithography, etching, screenprinting and combinations of these. The fifteen 3‐dimensional objects in the second part of the exhibition include handmade paper objects made in France, India and China, freehanging fabric pieces, and sculptural works made of a wide range of materials including cardboard, mud, wood and metal.

Contacts:

Christina Moisant Weyl or Chris Santa Maria
212‐249‐3324 gemini@joniweyl.com