ART YOU CAN USE

Lifestyle

Art. We escape to museums, get lost in galleries, sigh at murals on buildings, and pause to admire paintings on the street, all because of the emotions they evoke in us. It’s not unusual to see individual Instagram pages dedicated solely to pieces by some of the greats -- Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg.

I’m also guilty of posting museum trips on my Instagram page and the blog, but it can’t be helped. Art just has a way of making everything better. It’s timeless, inviting, and allows you to offer your own interpretation of it. There’s nothing better than looking at or owning a painting...or is there.

How about art you can use?

West Elm just unveiled a limited collection, which features the works of the late 20th century American artist, Robert Rauschenberg, called The “Art for Good” Rauschenberg + West Elm. The collaboration was developed with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and interprets the artist’s iconic imagery onto 17 pieces of furniture and decorative objects.

“The art that inspired our collection was created during Rauschenberg overseas culture Interchange, when he traveled to 10 countries and used the creative process to spark dialogue towards mutual understanding.” noted West Elm about the collaboration.

The pieces include a beautiful metal frame sofa, scoop back dining chairs, pillow covers, mugs, salad plates and a decorative box, all ranging from $10 to $1,299.99. Ten percent of the purchase price of each item will go to the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation’s grants in art, social justice, climate change and education.

West Elm is also a sponsor of a retrospective of his work at the MoMA. The exhibit, Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends, is on display from May 21 to Sept. 17.

I smell a MoMA trip in the near future.