Robert RAUSCHENBERG (1925 - 2008) American painter and graphic artist born in Texas. In the early 1950, abstraction was all the rage, and the “American way of life” a source of fascination for Europeans. At Black Mountain College in North Carolina, Robert Rauschenberg met composer John Cage and dancer Merce Cunningham. The three artists collaborated on several projects which revolutionised the American arts scene. Rauschenberg found his subjects in the art of everyday life, and offered ordinary images which, through his own will, acquired the status of artworks, and thereby demanded a different approach from those who see them. Robert’s poster… For this poster, the artist’s inspiration came from his own collages to create his version of “Star in motion”, the official emblem of the Games. The 13 horizontal lines which make up the star suggest not only movement, but also the original 13 colonies of the USA. This “mosaic-collage” is made up of over 500 fragments of photos published in sports magazines and newspapers. The artist stated he had an affinity with the athletes as he considered sport as a “performance art”. It was Robert Rauschenberg’s work which became the official poster for the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.