Barrel Up

True to Robert Rauschenberg’s longstanding interest in blending disparate elements within a single composition, this mixed media work incorporates a printed photographic image of an industrial scene overlaid with both printed and hand-painted passages of abstract forms. The seemingly enigmatic scene features various mechanical devices, including a thick hose or pipe and two metal drums or tanks (the reference to “barrel” in the title) being hoisted onto a barge or pier near a body of water. Though the imagery is puzzling, the scene may suggest the clean-up of waterways from the effects of man-made pollution, one of the many social concerns of the artist. That said, and as Rauschenberg himself noted, the meaning of his work is left to the viewer, who must draw on their own memories and associations to extract personally meaningful connotations.