Borealis Shares I 1990

This is Robert Rauschenberg’s “Borealis Shares I”, and I’m immediately drawn to the way he layers images and materials, like he’s building up a history on this surface. The clock at the top is so intriguing, it dominates the piece with its big dark hands frozen in time. There's a real physicality to the way Rauschenberg works. The paint isn’t precious or controlled; it drips and splatters, adding this element of chance and accident. Look at how the figure on the bicycle seems to emerge from the golden depths, almost dissolving back into it. I wonder what kind of tool he used to drag and smear the pigment like that, maybe a squeegee or even just his hand. It’s that kind of hands-on approach that makes the painting feel so alive, so immediate. For me, Rauschenberg is in conversation with artists like Sigmar Polke, who also embraced collage and chance. This piece is less about fixed meanings, and more about opening up possibilities.