Art in Flight: When Art Makes You Look Twice
In Case You Missed It: A Virtual Author Talk with Smithsonian Curator Carolyn Russo
What do birds, NASA, and a taxidermied eagle have in common? They're all part of the fascinating—and sometimes surprising—artistic world of Robert Rauschenberg.
On October 8, Smithsonian curator and author Carolyn Russo joined our virtual author talk series to discuss her book, The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight. The book explores how flight, from birds and insects to aviation and space exploration, influenced the work of one of America's most innovative artists.
Rauschenberg wasn't afraid to experiment. His artwork combined painting, photography, sculpture, and everyday objects in ways that challenged traditional ideas about what art could be. Sometimes the results were beautiful. Sometimes they were puzzling. And sometimes they included actual taxidermied birds!
Retired Galesburg librarian Jane Easterly explored the book before the author talk and described it as a beautiful, oversized coffee table book filled with striking images. Jane readily admits that she doesn't always understand modern art, and much of Rauschenberg's work wasn't necessarily to her taste—especially the pieces featuring bird parts! But his NASA-inspired artwork caught her attention. She singled out Stop Gap, a painting created with oil and silkscreen ink on canvas, as her favorite piece in the book, though she joked that she wasn't sure she'd want it hanging on her wall.
And perhaps that's part of what makes art worth exploring. You don't have to love every piece, or even understand what the artist intended, to discover something that catches your attention.
Through more than 150 images, Russo's book offers a different way to look at Rauschenberg's work, connecting his fascination with flight to creativity, technology, and the possibilities of human imagination.
In case you missed the conversation, you can still watch it! Hear from Carolyn Russo as she explores the stories and inspiration behind Rauschenberg's unconventional art.
Whether you're an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply curious about the unexpected connections between art and science, this conversation offers a new perspective—and maybe a few surprises along the way.
