ARTIST ROBERT PETERSEN
Literally, Under the Influence of Rauschenberg
The American multimedia artist Robert Petersen is the definition of underrated. From his intricate journals, unique sculptures, and drawings to the work he created with his friend Robert Rauschenberg, he is an unassuming genius we all should be familiar with.
Petersen was born in Iowa in 1945 and currently lives and works in Tivoli, New York. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach, in 1969, where he received a B.F.A. in printmaking. Shortly after, he met Robert Rauschenberg while working at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. Petersen was a head printer who worked on Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon series (1969-70), and from that moment on, the artists became close. During his time at Gemini G.E.L. he also printed works by other great artists such as Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein. Petersen then moved to Captiva, Florida, with Rauschenberg and joined him to establish the experimental print shop Untitled Press Inc. Apart from printing their works, they also published that of other artists like David Bradshaw, Brice Marden, Hisachika Takahashi, Cy Twombly, and Robert Whitman. Throughout his life, Petersen has crossed paths with countless celebrities and fellow artists. He has fond memories and stories of the years he spent in SoHo, a time when the art world was a much smaller bubble than it is today. As for his experience working with Rauschenberg, he has nothing but positive things to say. “Rauschenberg was so generous. He really made sure I had time to do my own work,” Petersen recalled in an interview with Lynn Woods for Hudson Valley One. “I started working at his studio in Florida, and my first drawing was very minimal: a blue shape on a white piece of paper, inspired by the view of the Gulf of Mexico I saw every day. You’d see fins come up, and every day was different, with beautiful storms and sun on the water. From that I developed a body of drawings and paintings.”
His practice is diverse and consists of sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, and collage. He is known primarily for his unique journals. He used large sheets of paper to write notes about events occurring around him and include sketches, cutouts, and relevant objects (or photo transfers of these objects.) In the mid-1970s, he also made drawings with powdered pigments he came upon at an art supply store. Although comparisons can be drawn between him and Rauschenberg, Petersen’s works are incredibly unique, intricate, and very much his own. He also uses classical imagery, surrealism, and landscapes that generate an overall nostalgic feeling. This past decade Petersen returned to creating sculptures of found objects and journal drawings, using some new techniques.
He resided with Rauschenberg until 1980 when he purchased a horse ranch in Florida. He also lived in SoHo, New York, and in New Canaan, Connecticut, where he taught at the Silvermine School of Art. Finally, he settled down in Tivoli, New York, with his wife Cinda and daughter Lena. Lena wrote a book published in 2013 about her father’s life and career.
Petersen’s first solo show took place in 1973 at the Gallerie Sonnabend in Paris. Throughout his career, he has participated in solo and group shows across the U.S. and Europe. His work is shown in major institutions worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Georges Pompidou Center, Musée National d’Art Moderne, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
