Robert Rauschenberg: Sky Garden Skateboard Deck
Produced by the Skateroom in collaboration with the Estate of Robert Rauschenberg, this screenprinted skateboard deck features a detail from Rauschenberg’s monumental lithograph Sky Garden (1969), held in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Art. (At 89 inches in height, it was the largest hand-pulled lithograph ever when it was printed.)
The work belongs to the artist’s series Stoned Moon (1969–70), thirty-four lithographs commissioned by the NASA Art Program to commemorate the first crewed spaceflight to the moon. Rauschenberg observed the launch of the Apollo 11 mission at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and was provided with photographs and other documentation to use in producing his work. The resultant print, which layers a diagram of a rocket over other images related to NASA’s exploratory program, resonates with the mixture of awe and apprehension that the Space Race often invoked.
The deck is intended for decorative purposes, but can be assembled into a functioning skateboard. A wall mount is provided to hang the edition on the wall.
Producer: The Skateroom
Year: 2017
Material: 7-ply Canadian maple
Dimensions: 31 × 8 inches (78.4 × 20.3 cm)
