Art historian Dr. Robert S. Mattison highlights Rauschenberg’s powerful and long-held interest in dance and performance in a conversation capped by a performance of “Tracer,” an early collaboration between choreographer Paul Taylor and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg, who went on to become giants of dance and art.

Throughout his career, Paul Taylor collaborated with visual artists who created set pieces and costumes for his dances. Neo-Dadaist artist Robert Rauschenberg was one of the first visual artists to work with Taylor, and designed some of Taylor’s most groundbreaking early works.

“Tracer” will be performed by the Taylor 2 dance company. This 1962 dance was lost to history before dancer Kim Jones reconstructed the “lost” dance at Taylor’s request. “Tracer” was reintroduced to the dance world in 2016 and is the foremost (and final) collaboration between Paul Taylor and Robert Rauschenberg.

Part of FirstWorks
The Paul Taylor Legacy Project: Art in Motion