Art History since 1945 - Essay Example

This study will evaluate two art pieces; Bed, by Robert Rauschenberg and Wall Drawing 17, by Sol Lewitt, to show how visual rhetoric can structure and convey ideas and pass on messages through sight. In addition, it will discuss how to classify and evaluate between two art pieces and correctly placing them in different contexts depending on the attributes they present. One graphic artist and painter, Robert Rauschenberg, an American who lived from nineteen twenty-five to two thousand and eight, created this art piece.

He is famous for his unique art works called “combines” in which he would employ non-traditional objects and materials in creating rather interesting and rare art pieces. He also featured in other disciplines such as photography, painting, papermaking, printmaking and as a performer as well. He lived his entire life in America where he resided in New York until he died. His piece of focus, Bed was created back in nineteen fifty-five and is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art.

It is an Oil and Pencil on pillow, quilt, and sheet held on wood supports. It measures 191.1. X 80x 20.3 centimeters. In its construction, Rauschenberg used a pillow together with a quilt and sheet framed in wood, paint and a pencil to create it1. From a distant view, the art piece looks like an actual bed because in addition to its frame, Rauschenberg combined the other “beddings” so well, similar to a neatly-spread bed. At what should be the headrest, he folds upwards to expose layers of cloth resembling the beddings.

They are cast aside, allowing one to see what should be the mattress. In addition, there are splashes of paint in some specific areas, which seemingly help in merging the “sheets” to the underlying mattress and bed. When it comes to the historical context to which it fits into, the Bed may fit perfectly in the Dadaism Art