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.