Architecture (Tribute 21) honors R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983), an architect, theorist, and inventor who created the geodesic dome, the only large dome structure that can rest directly on the ground without a foundation, and one of the only building types in which size does not impede structural strength. Fuller was a professor at Black Mountain College in 1948–49, during which time he erected his first geodesic domes on campus. Although Rauschenberg never took a course with him, they developed a long-lasting friendship. This brochure pairs a reproduction of Rauschenberg’s print with a quote by Fuller that reads: “You belong to the universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but . . . you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experience to the highest advantage of others.” The image on the brochure’s cover is rotated 180 degrees from the orientation of SFMOMA’s print (as indicated by the artist’s signature).

For a full list of the Tribute 21 portfolio honorees, see Felissimo’s informational brochure.