A Memorable Visit to Lafayette,
Louisiana with Robert Rauschenberg,
Christopher Rauschenberg and Darryl Pottorf
|
Robert
Rauschenberg & Christopher Rauschenberg |
|
Darryl Pottorf |
By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
To speak to and see
the master artist Rauschenberg in his hometown of Lafayette,
Louisiana alongside his son, sister and friends amidst an
opening of his world famous paintings, was an extraordinary
experience. Add to that some spicy gumbo and tasty alligator
meat, rhythmic, foot-tapping Zydeco music, primeval swamp
tours with rare roseate spoonbills, and the southern hospitality
of Kay Doré at her 80-acre plantation and you have a vision of
Lafayette not readily available to the casual visitor.
The
stark modernity of the new Paul and Lulu Hilliard University
Art Museum underscored the huge, complex images of Bob Rauschenberg’s canvases.
In fact, Rauschenberg said, “I feel like my canvases
are in a cathedral.” Remembrances of drawing throughout
his childhood and seeing Blue Boy at the Huntington Library,
made him realize that a human being actually made it thus
launching his career as an artist.
Christopher
Rauschenberg, son of Robert, had a different experience about
how he came to be an artist. “As a math and science major, with
three parents are artists, I was the black sheep of my family,” he
quipped. “I eventually ended up in painting.”
Pottorf
never thought of himself as an artist. Later he became Rauschenberg’s
assistant and ultimately developed his own style. A notable
shared characteristic in all three artists is their penchant
for collaboration. Bob’s view is that one idea invites
another; Chris was raised to see art as a team sport; Darryl
also generates ideas when working with others.
|
Party
Line 2003 by Robert Rauschenberg |
The
three artists shared insights on how to deal with criticism.
Bob stressed the importance of feeding one’s curiosity
and nourishing it every day while Chris stressed the pragmatic
need to find friends and galleries that have work similar
to yours.
As
far as pursuing a career in art, Chris said, “Go for what you can do now; use
the web or technology, for example. He feels his “role
as an artist is to be an antidote to society becoming all
the same. An artist should bring uniqueness to a culture
and to society.”
|
Pompeii
by Christopher Rauschenberg |
What
is Rauschenberg’s
greatest fear? “I might run out of the world!”
Particularly
outstanding in the exhibit was Party Line 2003 with the red
phone booth seemingly popping out at the viewer. Pottorf’s Face
of September 2001 was a moving portrayal of 9-11 while in
another part of the museum, Christopher’s photograph
of Pompeii drew me back into the misty history of the ruin
as well as a remembrance of my own visit in the past. Christopher
stated his reward as an artist is in “people saying
they love my work.” Pompeii is one of his personal
favorites. “In general, I don’t have people in
the photographs because I want the viewer to come up and
be in the picture.”
Born in Port Arthur, Texas
and coming home from the military to life in Lafayette, how
did Rauschenberg make the quantum leap from local artist
to acclaim that commands worldwide prices from $100,000 to
$1 million? A key event was the Biennale that granted credibility
but Chris underscores the fact that his father was interested
in just doing his work, not with the goal of becoming an
international artist.
|
Face
of September 2001 by Darryl Pottorf |
Reflecting
back on his education, Rauschenberg recalls Black Mountain
College, North Carolina, as a place of freedom where he found
out who he was; a place to milk cows, wash dishes, study
dance and learn Russian. “People
did their best when they were there,” he said. When
Chris stated that his father had found a community of people
there, Bob laughed and pointed out that Chris was being carried
around in a laundry basket at that point so how would he
know. Darryl’s humorous comment on education was “Stay
in school as long as you can. It cuts down on the overhead.”
Rauschenberg now has a home
and studio in Captiva, Florida, a place that for him has
a magic that includes yellow butterflies and turtles.
Chris
has a photography gallery in Portland, Oregon where he “thinks with his
hands” referring to his intuitive placement of objects. “An
artist,” he says, “takes ordinary objects and
sees them in unusual ways.”
In this memorable exhibit,
Herman Mhire, director of the stunning University Art Museum,
has presented the works of the triumvirate, father, son and
friend, enabling us to transcend the ordinary and enter the
visionary world of the artist.#
Exhibit
runs through September 3rd.
