Ten screenprinted acrylic panels mounted in a slotted Plexiglas base, enclosed within a stainless steel cover.. Conceived as a three-dimensional "book" whose photomontaged pages (panels) can be moved and rearranged as desired.

Robert Rauschenberg%2C Opal Gospel%2C 1971-1972 %C2%A9 Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Opal Gospel, 1971

Robert Rauschenberg; Publisher: Racolin Press, Briarcliff Manor, New York; Producer: Styria Studio, New Yorkexpand_more

Color screenprints on ten acrylic panels in Lucite base, stainless steel coverexpand_more

The Martha T. Wallace Fundexpand_more  P.76.2

Not on Viewexpand_more

Opal Gospel is among Rauschenberg's best known multiples, a three-dimensional "book" consisting of Native American stories, songs, poems and found imagery printed on a series of transparent acrylic pages which rest in a Lucite base. Rauschenberg's design encouraged the viewer to remove and read the various pages and re-arrange them in novel combinations, thus altering the object's appearance and meaning. For him, the work's evocative power was magnified by incorporating the idea of chance, which in this case is provided by the viewer's active participation.

Reflecting on the work's content and meaning, Rauschenberg noted that "Spiritually and factually, [Native American] drawings improved the hunt and chronicled their history both generally and personally so that it could be understood by other tribes and other generations. It could be read or felt at one instant. [Art] should be a form of therapy."

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Details
Title
Opal Gospel
Artist Life
1925–2008
Role
Artist
Accession Number
P.76.2
Provenance
Styria Studio, New York (workshop); Steven M. Andersen, Minneapolis; sold to MIA, 1976.
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Ten screenprinted acrylic panels mounted in a slotted Plexiglas base, enclosed within a stainless steel cover.. Conceived as a three-dimensional "book" whose photomontaged pages (panels) can be moved and rearranged as desired.

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