Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) was born in Port Arthur, Texas. After studying pharmacology at the University of Texas at Austin, he was drafted into the Navy as a neuropsychiatric technician in San Diego. After leaving the Navy, he finally began his career as artist and traveled to Paris to study at the Academie Julian in 1948. In 1949, Rauschenberg moved to New York where he enrolled in classes at the Art Students League and soon after was offered a solo show at the Betty Parsons Gallery. In 1953, Rauschenberg settled down and began to seriously produce art. During this time, he produced his series of black paintings and made several sculptures from various materials found on the street. The same year, Rauschenberg befriended Jasper Johns with whom they became the most outspoken critics of the Abstract Expressionism movement.

In the early 1960s, Rauschenberg had his first retrospective at the Jewish Museum of New York and was awarded the grand prize for painting at the Venice Bienniale. During this time, he made his first screenprints and also experimented in performance art, set design and choreography. He also cofounded an organization called Experiments in Art and Technology which promoted the collaboration between artists and engineers. In the 1970s, Rauschenberg participated in artistic protests for the Vietnam War and moved to Captiva Island, Florida. He produced several series of works and participated in many collaborations. Over the years, Rauschenberg traveled extensively showing his works and promoting relationships with artists overseas. He was very active in this area before he died on Captiva Island in 2008.