Video Portrait: Robert Rauschenberg

Video Portrait: Robert Rauschenberg

Portraits Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008

This work is a portrait of the visual artist Robert Rauschenberg. The entire work, which is approximately 22 minutes long, is a close-up shot of Rauschenberg's face. He stares into the camera, occasionally laughing or smiling and responding to the events around him. The viewer hears the camera person or director instructing Rauschenberg. In the background two men's voices carry on a conversation and the sounds of traffic are heard. At one point the phone rings and a conversation occurs. Eventually, the sounds die down and the work draws to a close. Little credit information accompanies the piece. This was originally made as part of a project called "Artists on Artists." Various artists created video works, specifically for the New Television Workshop, on other artists. It was broadcast as part of the "Artist's Showcase" series. "Artist's Showcase" was a series designed to showcase video art and experimental work from WGBH. The program ran on Sunday evenings at 11 P.M., from the fall of 1976 through 1982. In the early 1970's, "Artist's Showcase" was the only consistent broadcast outlet for many of the Workshop productions. Most materials of broadcast quality created at WGBH in the mid-1970's were shown as part of this series. Additionally, earlier video art experiments and segments of related shows, such as "Mixed Bag" or "What's Happening Mr. Silver" were broadcast under these auspices. This series was also a broadcast outlet for a handful of works by video artists that were not created at WGBH but only acquired for this purpose. Some compilation reels showing highlights of Workshop activity were also broadcast.