Study for Chinese Summerhall

c. 1983

Darryl Pottorf becomes his life partner

For the last 25 years of his life Rauschenberg's partner was the artist Darryl Pottorf, formerly his assistant.

1983

Grammy for a Talking Heads album design

Rauschenberg won a Grammy for his design of the limited edition of Talking Heads' album “Speaking in Tongues”.

1984

Announces ROCI at the United Nations

In 1984 Rauschenberg announced at the United Nations the launch of the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI), funded almost entirely by himself. Over seven years he toured ten countries — Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the USSR, Germany and Malaysia — taking photographs, making works inspired by each culture, exhibiting them locally and often donating one to a local institution.