Canyon
Robert Rauschenberg
American, 1925–2008
1959
A theatrical 'combine' in which Rauschenberg stitched painting, collage and found objects — most famously a taxidermied eagle and a tied cloth form — into a single work that blurs painting and sculpture to make images feel like lived things.
The dead bird appears to lunge out of a patchwork canvas—wings spread over drips, worn papers, printed stencils and scumbled paint—while a soft, tied fabric object dangles below, giving the whole surface an uncanny, stage‑set quality.
Canyon is a landmark 1959 example of Rauschenberg’s combines, which opened up new paths for assemblage, Pop and conceptual art by treating everyday detritus and objects as integral elements of painting and collapsing the boundary between art and life.
Medium
Oil, pencil, paper, metal, photograph, fabric, wood, canvas, buttons, mirror, taxidermied eagle, cardboard, pillow, paint tube and other materials
Dimensions
81 3/4 x 70 x 24" (207.6 x 177.8 x 61 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the family of Ileana Sonnabend
Accession
1782.2012
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
