Rauschenberg created this work in 1955 for the Stable Gallery Annual, a group show in which artists in the gallery’s roster were invited to nominate friends to contribute works. When Rauschenberg nominated artists Susan Weil, Jasper Johns, Ray Johnson, and Stan VanDerBeek, he was told that the rules had changed and that his nominations would not be accepted. In response, Rauschenberg "short circuited" the ruling by inviting each artist to provide a work to be incorporated into his own. Of the four, only Weil and Johns submitted works. Rauschenberg placed their paintings within shallow cabinets concealed by hinged doors; the word "open," written on the right-hand door, prompts discovery of what is inside.