[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG, AMERICAN ARTIST

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                            HON. CONNIE MACK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. MACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's 
greatest art pioneers of the 20th century, Robert Rauschenberg, who 
passed away on Monday at the age of 82 on Captiva Island. He led an 
extraordinary life and his unique approach to abstract expressionism 
helped to pave the way for a new generation of contemporary artists.
  Mr. Rauschenberg was born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Texas. His love for 
art grew while he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and had a 
chance to visit an art museum at the age of 18. When he returned home 
from the war, he used his GI Bill benefits to pay his tuition at art 
school.
  Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Mr. Rauschenberg's portfolio was 
varied and diverse. He rejected abstract expressionism and searched for 
a new method of painting. Incorporating his enthusiasm for popular 
culture, he turned to pop art, and used materials traditionally outside 
of the mainstream. He was also a sculptor and choreographer.
  Mr. Rauschenberg moved to Captiva Island in the 1970s. Perhaps the 
thing that Mr. Rauschenberg will most be remembered for in southwest 
Florida was his contributions to the art community in our region. He 
generously donated to the gallery on the Edison College campus in Fort 
Myers, giving them the rights to reproduce his prints and posters and 
thus allowing the institution to support itself financially.
  In addition, Mr. Rauschenberg enjoyed sharing his love of art to art 
students and the general public and was often on hand at gallery 
openings to support local artists. He was also a strong supporter of 
Arts for ACT, a charity that supports a shelter for abused women.
  Although Mr. Rauschenberg is no longer with us on earth, his memory 
will live on in the paintings he loved so much, the art community in 
southwest Florida he fostered and supported, and the people he met and 
inspired every day.

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