Barbican Gallery

The Barbican Gallery in London has a lot to offer about the Duchamp period including works from Jasper Johns to Robert Rauschenberg. ‘Shades’ produced in 1964 by Robert Rauschenberg, as pictured below, is one of the many artworks featured in this exhibition. When walking into the exhibition space it is very easy for the viewer to feel challenged about the atmosphere, certain pieces of work and the music playing in the background. However, as well as this, there are a great deal of great artists work featured in this collection which is very inspiring as some of the pioneering graphic designers of the 20^th century. Rauschenberg’s ‘Shades’ were created on six lithographs, mounted in a slotted aluminum box illuminated from behind. The idea behind ‘Shades’ was for the viewer to feel free to rearrange the composition and alignment as the title was fixed but the five other plates could be reordered. This was done for the viewer to interact with the artwork, removing the creative process from the artist’s hands instead of ‘pages’ following a chronological order. The colour of the lithographs also makes it easier for them to be rearranged, as there is not dominant colour or shape within these that would rule over the other shades.

Robert Rauschenberg - Shades, 1964