Mercury Zero Summer Glut 1987

Robert Rauschenberg made this sculpture, “Mercury Zero Summer Glut,” with found metal objects. There's a kind of impulsive energy to it, like it just came together in a flash. I love the way he brings these disparate materials together, the rusty wing jutting out from the smooth, caged fan. The wing itself is something else, right? It has these blue-green patches that look like they’ve been aged by weather. It’s got a weight and texture that implies history, and gives this notion of something soaring, set against that kind of clunky cage. That’s what Rauschenberg was so good at: making poetry out of everyday junk. It reminds me a bit of Kurt Schwitters, another artist who made art out of found materials, but Rauschenberg takes it to a new level with his playful combinations. His work never feels precious or overthought, it's like he’s inviting us to see the world with fresh eyes, finding beauty in the discarded.