Oral History Interview with Janet Begneaud

Download or read book Oral History Interview with Janet Begneaud written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Janet Begneaud, Robert Rauschenberg's sister, begins with a family history, talking about her parents' early lives and how they came to meet in Port Arthur, Texas where both she and her older brother were born. Begnead narrates her own childhood: her religious upbringing in the Church of Christ; the presence of a large extended family; and what she describes as a very simple, happy childhood. She talks about Rauschenberg's early encounters with paint. Begneaud recalls specific memories of her brother: travelling to Connecticut for Rauschenberg's wedding to Sue Weil; his untraditional painting for her parents' church; and a nude he painted at Black Mountain College. Begneaud talks of trips to visit her brother in New York City, including when Rauschenberg shared a loft with Jasper Johns. She remembers meeting Ileana Sonnabend, attending art openings, and various celebrity encounters. Begneaud discusses meeting Fidel Castro during travels for Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI) CUBA; shares her impressions of watching Rauschenberg do his walk through of gallery spaces before show openings; narrates the Mexico City ROCI opening; and discusses her travels to celebrate the commission of Whistle Stop (Spread) in Fort Worth, Texas. Begneaud also reminisces about Rauschenberg making her a Cardboard in her garage at home in Lafayette and years later seeing that piece at his Guggenheim retrospective.