ROBERT PETERSEN
Robert Petersen was born in 1945 in Le Mars, Iowa. In 1963 at Fullerton Community College, his interest in architectural drafting led him to develop a passion for drawing, painting, and printmaking. In 1966, he pursued his love for printmaking at California State University, Long Beach under the former Tamarind Lithography Workshop printer, Robert Evermon.
In 1969, Petersen worked as an assistant printer at Gemini G.E.L. where he printed editions for Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. Petersen served as one of the head printers for Rauschenberg's Stoned Moon series, during which the two formed a close friendship. In late 1970, Rauschenberg invited Petersen to live and work with him on Captiva Island, FL. In 1971, Rauschenberg and Petersen established the experimental print shop, Untitled Press, Inc., where they not only printed their own work, but also printed for visiting artists including David Bradshaw, Brice Marden, Hisachika Takahashi, Cy Twombly, and Robert Whitman.
Petersen lived and worked closely with Rauschenberg on Captiva Island until 1980. During the early 1970s, Petersen predominately created monochromatic minimalist work and then began to explore the possibilities presented by his intricate sketch pages. In 1976, Petersen made his first monthly-inspired journal drawing from the highlights of his sketchbook where he collected observations of daily surroundings, drawings for future work, musings, postcards, photographs, and ephemera such as calendar clippings and magazine illustrations. This technique continues to serve as the basis for his present work.
In 1973, Petersen had his first solo show at Galerie Sonnabend in Paris, France, which was followed by numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide. His work is represented in many private and public collections internationally. Petersen currently works in Tivoli, NY.
