The implications of the act were numerous. Rauschenberg was trying to deal with the art that came before him. He was facing whatever it was that he'd have to live up to or depart from. And while many might find his idea pompous or disrespectful (or perhaps it was a little of both), it was also boldly showing de Kooning that there was no denying his impact on the art world. It was a tribute in its own peculiar way.
Vanity Fair recently posted a conversation with writer Jonathan Safran Foer. He published Tree of Codes, a book and work of art created by cutting out chunks of writing from Foer's favorite novel, The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz. Foer says: "It’s a book I’ve always loved. Some things you love passively, some you love actively. In this case, I felt the compulsion to do something with it. Then I started thinking about what books look like, what they will look like, how the form of the book is changing very quickly."