Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who played a major role in the development of post-war American art. He was born on October 22, 1925, in Port Arthur, Texas, and grew up in a working-class family.
Rauschenberg studied art at Kansas City Art Institute and later at the Académie Julian in Paris. He is best known for his mixed-media works that combine painting, sculpture, photography, and found objects. His early works were influenced by abstract expressionism, but he later became associated with the pop art movement.
Rauschenberg's most famous works include his "Combines," which are mixed-media assemblages that combine painting and sculpture, as well as his series of "Silkscreen Paintings," which incorporate photographic images into his paintings.
Throughout his career, Rauschenberg collaborated with other artists, musicians, and dancers, and he was known for his innovative use of technology and new materials in his art.
Rauschenberg received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the National Medal of Arts in 1993. He died on May 12, 2008, in Captiva Island, Florida, at the age of 82. His work continues to be influential and is represented in major museums and collections around the world.