What did the White Paintings mean to Rauschenberg?

To Rauschenberg, the White Paintings meant the passage of time and symbolized divinity. By painting with a bright white color, he sought to capture the passing of shadows as the sun moved through a space and, in this way, track the hours. He once said, "They are a natural response to the current pressures of the faithless and a promoter of intuitional optimism," linking the color white with the concept of the purity of God. After completing his White Paintings, the American artist continued to experiment with monochrome compositions and even went so far as to try and erase some of his previous works to create a monochrome effect. Find a collection of Robert Rauschenberg art on 1stDibs.