Robert Rauschenberg (1925 – 2008) was driven by an irrepressible curiosity and eccentricity that profoundly impacted the Pop Art movement. “Bicycle, National Gallery” uses his “combine” technique, in which objects and paint are paired to create an enormous collage brimming with mesmerizing color, energy and detail. Originally a student of pharmacology, Rauschenberg fell in love with art during a museum visit while he was enlisted in the Navy. Rauschenberg attained fame in the 1950s for combines, which united throwaway items such as tires, shirts, cardboard and metal scraps to reveal their beauty and evoke emotions. Rauschenberg’s combines inspired installation art in the 1970s, which is still thriving today.

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