R.B. Kitaj was an American artist born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1932.
R. B. Kitaj at a glance
- Born: 1932, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
- Died: 2007, Los Angeles, California
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Expressive figure paintings that mix Pop Art collage with loose, energetic brushwork
- Education: Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Ruskin School of Drawing in Oxford, Royal College of Art in London
- Based in: London for many years, then Los Angeles from 1997
- Notable works: The Ohio Gang, The Autumn of Central Paris (After Walter Benjamin), If Not, Not
- Honors: Elected to the Royal Academy in 1985
“He merged the collage techniques of Pop Art with the agitated brushstrokes of Abstract Expressionism.”
R.B. Kitaj spent his early adulthood as a seaman for a Norwegian freighting company, followed by a short stint in the US Army.
R.B. Kitaj studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna and the Ruskin School of Drawing in Oxford.
R.B. Kitaj later studied at the Royal College of Art in London, where Kitaj became close friends with David Hockney.
Kitaj’s work is known for its expressive figurative style, merging Pop Art collage with Abstract Expressionist brushwork.
R.B. Kitaj was deeply interested in Jewish heritage, literature, and history, which influenced Kitaj’s art practice.
- Born in Ohio in 1932.
- Became a key figure in European and American contemporary painting.
- Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1982.
- First American since Sargent elected to the Royal Academy in 1985.
- Kitaj’s works are held in major collections, including MoMA and the Tate.
R.B. Kitaj held major retrospectives at the Tate Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum, and other institutions.
R.B. Kitaj moved to Los Angeles in 1997 and died there in 2007.