Art: The Misfits

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It's an advantage of this exhibition, organized by Paul Schimmel of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and installed in its New York City venue by Nan Rosenthal, that it doesn't have to give space to Rauschenberg's all too massive later output, that endless madcap extrusion. The combines were among his indisputable triumphs, and seeing them on their own makes you realize all over again their liberating power. They offer you a puzzle and dare you to unpuzzle it. Go ahead and try—as long as you're not the type who needs all the pieces to fit.