BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
West Elm today debuted its collaboration with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, bringing the late American artist’s post-war artwork to a home collection. This limited-time-only line interprets Rauschenberg’s gestural brushstrokes and iconic imagery onto a 17-piece assortment of home furnishings and decorative accessories priced from $10 to $1,299. Ten percent of the purchase price of each item will support the Rauschenberg Foundation’s grants in art, social justice, climate change, and education. The “Art for Good” Rauschenberg + West Elm collection is available at westelm.com April 25 and at select West Elm stores* May 12.
“Robert Rauschenberg was a visionary American artist whose groundbreaking work and passion for collaboration with artisans, printmakers, and performers, inspired this partnership. We are honored to translate his incredible work to a line of artful furnishings and decorative accessories perfect for today’s modern homes,” said West Elm creative director Johanna Uurasjarvi.
“Partnering with West Elm was a natural fit for us given their strong commitment to sustainable, artisanal production and their belief that good design can drive meaningful change,” said Sharon Ullman, acting executive director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. “Rauschenberg’s life and work demonstrated how art could be a vehicle for social change, locally and globally. We are proud to collaborate with West Elm on this special collection inspired by the work of our founder, bringing both his art and his belief that ‘art can change the world’ into homes across the country.”
The West Elm and Rauschenberg collection includes salad plates, mugs, decorative box, textiles, dining chairs and a sofa. Prices for the assortment range from $10 for a salad plate or mug to $1,299 for a sofa. In celebration of the Rauschenberg collaboration and his affinity for drawing, West Elm customers will receive a commemorative pencil as a gift-with-purchase in any of the 50 West Elm stores where the collection is available and while supplies last. To learn more about the Rauschenberg + West Elm collection visit www.westelm.com/Rauschenberg.
West Elm also announced it is a proud sponsor of Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends, a retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends presents work from six decades of his widely celebrated career in fresh ways, bringing together over 250 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and sound and video recordings. On view from May 21 through September 17, 2017, MoMA’s presentation is structured as an “open monograph”—as other artists came into Rauschenberg’s creative life, they come into the exhibition, mapping the exchange of ideas.
*The collection is available at westelm.com on April 25 and 50 select West Elm stores in the U.S. and Canada beginning May 12. A limited assortment will be available online and at West Elm stores in the United Kingdom and Australia.
About Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) was a 20th century American artist who believed that “painting relates to both art and life” and worked across a variety of subjects, mediums and styles. He rose to prominence for his “Combines” in which he brought real-world images and objects into the realm of abstract painting, and established himself as an artist uninhibited by the modernist movements of the late 1940s and early 50s. Rauschenberg believed in social activism and supporting the artist community through collaborations with engineers, writers, artists, performers and artisans, further cementing his legacy as one of the most prolific artists of our time. From 1985-1990 Rauschenberg traveled to ten countries outside the United States for his ROCI (Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange) project, using the creative process to spark dialogue and mutual understanding among diverse cultures, often in places where freedom of expression had been suppressed. Learn more about the artist at RRF.nyc.
About West Elm
Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY since 2002, West Elm opened its first store in DUMBO, the neighborhood it still proudly calls home. With a mission of harnessing the power of design and human connection to enrich lives, everything West Elm does is designed to make an impact in everyday life, from creating unique, affordable designs for modern living and commitment to Fair Trade Certified, from LOCAL and handcrafted products to community-driven collaborations and events. The brand operates 99 retail stores in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK, ships internationally to customers around the world and operates stores in Mexico, the Middle East and Philippines through unaffiliated franchisees. In addition to home furnishings retail, West Elm operates West Elm Workspace in the commercial furnishings industry and announced its expansion into the travel and hospitality industry with the launch of West Elm Hotels. West Elm publishes the blog Front+Main and is part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. West Elm is a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.
About the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation fosters the artistic and philanthropic legacy of one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Through exhibitions, scholarship, grants, and an artist residency program, the Foundation furthers Rauschenberg’s belief that art can change the world. Learn more at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation’s website.
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