Oracle 1965

Robert Rauschenberg made "Oracle" out of found objects, each part telling a different story while still fitting together as one. The metal has a kind of rough beauty, a matte finish that makes you want to reach out and touch it. Each object has different textures and levels of opacity that make the sculpture really stand out. There is an interesting contrast between the industrial appearance of the machine parts and the found textures of the objects, like the wood of the window frame. See how the pipe is bent into an S shape? It is supported by a bicycle wheel and looks both like a machine and a living organism. Rauschenberg's work reminds me of Kurt Schwitters, who collected trash and called it 'Merz' art; both artists transform everyday objects into something new and strange. But in the end, art is like that: a conversation, a remix, an ongoing process of making something from nothing.