Robert Rauschenberg
American, 1925-2008
Robert Rauschenberg created this print to mark the one-hundredth anniversary of the organized labor movement in America. He included direct references to the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) as well as images that represented, more generally, collaboration and movements toward labor reform. Rauschenberg’s chosen images show unidentified strikes, evoking a sense of ongoing protest and of the necessity of struggle. Seals and badges from national and regional labor organizations are shown at the bottom. Also included is an image of Lane Kirkland, president of the AFL-CIO from 1979 to 1995.
Label from Overtime: The Art of Work, March 8–May 17, 2015