Analysis of “Signs” By Robert Rauschenberg

Analysis of “Signs” By Robert Rauschenberg

 

Rauschenberg conceived of “Signs” as a summation of the 1960s, with its title derived from the phrase ‘sign of the times’ and it’s image conforming to display such.

The image is created of media images, specifically ones found in popular publications of the time, images seen often in popular culture therefore allowing it to conform to the genre of ‘Pop Art’. Within the collage are shown many people associated with change which often they died for or died doing, making death an obvious theme, ranging from the Vietnamese soldiers of whom millions died and the Kennedy brothers who were both assassinated in mysterious circumstances.

Buzz Aldrin, who covers the whole bottom left corner, is the only person within the image who is looking forward, perhaps signifying how space exploration is the only progress the country is making at that current time and all other images within the piece display failed endeavours. Also the spaceman is the biggest and lightest photograph, which sits afront all other parts of the collage, thus demanding the most attention may be a comment on the American government spending vast amounts on promoting its progress in space exploration and the moon landing to simultaneously mask the horrors of the war that was massacring many of its country’s men, and the still strong opposition to black equality both issues displayed within the collage. The latter displayed with the photograph of the body of Martin Luther King Jr. over which, a horrifically injured victim of the race rights, is reaching. This may represent the death of the hope of equality which fell with the murder of Luther King Jr. 

Rauschenberg was forty five years of age when he created ‘Signs’ which is evident as the main focus of the image are political occurrences, something of which he would have had a stronger view regarding, he also displays recognition of shocking events of the early 1960’s such as the assassination of John F Kennedy, of whom a picture is included, surrounded by a black background to create a sense of mourning, also notably he is looking outward away from all other images in the collage, mayhaps signifying that he never had a chance to see the progress his country would make, or turning the blame of these occurrences away from him.

The composition of the image is somewhat disorganised and chaotic although it is weighted with the larger images dominating the lower image and sitting further forward and the smaller and more detailed photographs in the centre and upper proportion of the whole collage. As the collage is made of popular images, it includes signifiers, included to evoke the memories of such events within the viewer. Myself as a viewer without such memories or experience of the events concerned, cannot view the piece and feel as much passion and emotion, so see it more as a synopsis of Rauschenberg’s feelings on the matter and how he reviewed his country, and the shocking and powerful happenings associated with it.

Line within the image is created by the outlines of each photograph which often meet together at some areas in order to allow them to flow and fit together so their edges are flush. Also some of the images, such as the photograph of Robert Kennedy, have been cut leaving a white area bordering the subject to bring it forward from the strong colour of the image behind it and to highlight and separate it.

The colours of the image range from the bright primary colour of red, dominating the upper right corner to browns and greens which make up the only colours in the piece as the rest is made up of black and white tones, this creates a great amount of contrast within the piece making it appeasing to the eye but also enforcing separation between the images

There is a severe lack of texture within the piece but this enforces the effectiveness of the images themselves, as to add other materials and substances would be to distract for the purity and fully exposed representation of the images. Also due to the complication of the present layout to add to the image would be to make it heavily distracting and as the content is incredibly strong and to overlay and obscure would cause a loss in the impact and the message itself.