“The Interloper Tries His Disguises (Kabal American Zephyr)” is an installation artwork created by the renowned artist Robert Rauschenberg in 1982. Belonging to the Neo-Dada art movement, the artwork reflects the era’s characteristic blend of conventional aesthetics with rebellion and critique of traditional art forms.
The artwork consists of an assemblage that juxtaposes a worn-out vehicle tire with a diverse amalgamation of images attached to a canvas or panel. The tire, in a state of disrepair, emerges vertically from the lower right corner of the assemblage and arcs upward, almost touching the wall. It is fixed partly to an old wheel, emphasizing the element of movement and transportation halted by time. The background is a collage of varied images that might include photographs, printed text, and abstract visuals, arranged in a haphazard yet deliberate manner. This complex interplay of elements calls attention to themes of transformation, identity, and disguise, as suggested by the title. The tire, a powerful industrial and modern symbol, contrasts with the static and fragmented imagery behind it, engendering a thought-provoking dialogue between motion and stasis, coherence and chaos.
