Waterworks (1992–95)

For this series, originally titled Day Lights and Night Sights, Rauschenberg made digital prints from his photographs with inkjet dyes. The images were then transferred to paper using water and a lithography press. With his interest in caring for the environment, the artist chose to use water as a solvent as well as biodegradable and soy-based dyes. Rauschenberg referred to the process as “vegetable dye transfer.” These are Rauschenberg’s first works using inkjet printing; he was an early adopter of the technology, which had only just become available in 1987.