Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg, born in 1925 in Port Arthur, TX. Rauschenberg was a world-renowned artist known for his use of a wide range of subjects, styles and mediums that included photography, painting, sculpture, performances, and prints to create pieces in combination with each other. This led to his famous creation of the “combine,” which combined painting and sculpture mediums. His transitional work pushed the boundaries of Abstract Expressionism, which inspired the beginnings of more modern movements. He studied with Josef Albers at BMC beginning in 1948, who had a major impact on the way he viewed art. He also studied with artist and ex-wife Susan Weil, artist Cy Twombly, performer Merce Cunningham, and composer John Cage. Rauschenberg also studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, Paris, NY and has had work displayed in the Metropolitan, New York; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Rome; the National Collection of Fine Art (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum), Washington, D.C.; and the Guggenheim Museum. Rauschenberg died in May of 2008 in Captiva, FL.