Traces suspectes en surface (Things are Not What They Seem)

Traces suspectes en surface is the result of a six-year collaboration between Rauschenberg and French novelist, poet, and filmmaker Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008). In this celebrated artist's book, Robbe-Grillet's unconventional, but captivating mystery story, written in his own hand on lithographic plates, is accompanied by 25 original lithographic collages of photographic imagery provided by Rauschenberg. Robbe-Grillet practiced the nouveau roman (new novel) approach to writing, which emphasized experimentation and breaking with the conventions of classic literary genres. In commenting on collaborations with artists, and the relationship between words and images, Robbe-Grillet noted that, My novels are never 'about' anything, nor are they about ideas of images. The author's enigmatic pronouncement suggests that this artist's book represents something less than a true collaboration, and more of Rauschenberg's subjective response to Robbe-Grillet's intentionally ambiguous text.