Thomas Buehler describes his longtime collaboration and friendship with Robert Rauschenberg. Buehler details his journey from Germany to New York and his introduction to art shipping companies, including the events that led to him handling the Rauschenberg retrospective Werke 1950-1980 in 1979. He would later organize and travel with ROCI (Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Initiative). He talks primar ily of travel anecdotes and the technical aspects of shipping, installing, and storing various art pieces. Buehler discusses his experience with Rauschenberg during the last twenty years of his life. He details the purchase of storage spaces and the organization of the Chelsea warehouse before the move to Mount Vernon, NY
Thomas Buehler was born in Berlin in 1943. After studying graphic design and working in advertising, he established his own studio and traveled throughout Europe and Africa, including an extended residency in the Seychelles. Buehler met Rauschenberg d uring the installation of Rauschenberg: Werke 1950-1980 at the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Berlin, in 1980. Rauschenberg later hired Buehler for the logistical organization of the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI) world tour (1985-91). At the conclusion of ROCI, Rauschenberg appointed Buehler to manage his art storage facility and to oversee his international projects. In 2005 Buehler completed the renovation of a new art storage facility to house Rauschenberg’s work. Buehler served as Senior Registrar for the Rauschenberg Foundation until his retirement in November 2016
Note
Interviewed by Sara Sinclair on April 2 and May 26, 2015
Note (Provenance)
Thomas Buehler, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2019