For those of you who’ve driven it, Laika Lane is the last left turn off of Captiva Drive before the narrow, two-lane road curls west and empties you into South Seas Island Resort. Although a sign at the entrance to Laika Lane suggests it’s for residents only, the fact is that anyone can enter and take the shell-packed road all the way to its end — where you’ll come upon the public egress to the beach here on the Gulf of Mexico, and you’ll need to summarily turn around and exit, unless you’re living or renting a vacation home on the street. As you turn your car around, however, pay close attention to that large, white, square monolithic structure to your left. Because there, in a stunning home on a spectacular beach with a breathtaking view of day’s end 365 days a year, was the home of Robert Rauschenberg.
To say that Bob Rauschenberg was a rock star of the pop art world that came to life in the fifties and sixties — and one of the most influential American artists of the past 100 years — is an understatement. Rauschenberg was, and remains nine years after his death at the age of 82, an artist whose influence on the evolution of art, and the development of future artists pushing the boundaries of their media, cannot be understated. It was the late 1950s when Rauschenberg, a regular visitor to St. Petersburg, began exploring destinations further south andhappenedupon the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. According to legend, as he traversed the islands, he had to stop for a turtle in the road (which he reportedly loved) and upon viewing some property on Captiva, was surrounded by butterflies. In this artist’s mind, it was a revelation; he began purchasing property on Captiva (eventually 20- plus acres, most
14 COASTE | artist & residence
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