Robert Rauschenberg | Samarkand Stitches #VII, 1998

Hello, my name is Christina Rees. I'm an art critic and editor, and until very recently, I've been the longest-running Editor-in-Chief of Glasstire, which is the oldest online visual art publication in the United States, and it covers art all over Texas. The piece in front of you, titled Samarkand Stitches #VII, was made by the late, great Robert Rauschenberg in 1998, which was ten years before he died. Robert Rauschenberg is certainly one of my favorite artists. He's most famous for his silkscreens and his combine sculptures, which were made of discarded objects. He's one of the most important artists in the history of modern and contemporary art. He's a native of nearby Port Arthur, Texas. He was born in 1925, and he was a real trailblazer of pop art and conceptual art following World War II. He's influenced every generation of artists since his arrival on the New York scene in the 1950s. The piece in front of you, Samarkand Stitches #VII, is part of a suite of 73 wall hangings. The series is made from sewn fabric, ECOTE silk from Samarkand, along with domestic fabrics that have been screen printed with photographic images taken by Rauschenberg during his travels to the former Soviet Union. The series, including this unique screen print, was published by Gemini in Los Angeles. This is an acclaimed long-running artist workshop and publisher. Whenever I see a work by Rauschenberg in Texas, and especially in and around the Houston area this close to Port Arthur, I always think, welcome home, Robert. And this is no exception.