Robert Whitman (American, 1935–2024): Shopping Bag (1966/2013).
Video transferred from 16mm film (color, silent), media player, portable mini projector, frosted Plexiglas screen, cast fiberglass, printed grocery bag, and pedestal. Collection of William N. Copley Estate/Copley LLC. The artwork is part of “Sensing the Future. Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) at the Getty Center.
Whitman, a founding member of E.A.T., was an interdisciplinary artist. His work merged film, sculpture, technology, and theatre. In Shopping Bag, a screen fills the opening of a supermarket bag. On it, grocery items appear.
Getty Center, October 13, 2024.
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Robert Whitman (1935–2024) was an American artist renowned for his pioneering contributions to performance art, multimedia installations, and the integration of technology into artistic practice. Born on May 23, 1935, in New York City, Whitman emerged as a key figure in the avant-garde art scene of the late 1950s and 1960s, particularly within the “Happenings” movement—a form of spontaneous, interdisciplinary performance that blended visual art, theater, and audience interaction. Alongside contemporaries like Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenburg, Jim Dine, and Red Grooms, he helped redefine artistic expression by breaking away from traditional gallery and museum formats.
Whitman’s early works, such as American Moon (1960), staged at the Reuben Gallery in New York, exemplified his innovative approach. This piece featured immersive environments constructed from everyday materials like scrap lumber and paper, combined with live performers, film projections, and sound, creating a disorienting yet captivating experience for audiences. His performances often emphasized physicality and ritualistic elements, drawing inspiration from early encounters with circus clown Emmett Kelly and the silent comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
Beyond Happenings, Whitman was a trailblazer in technologically engaged art. In 1966, he co-founded Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) with artist Robert Rauschenberg and engineers Billy Klüver and Fred Waldhauer. E.A.T. fostered collaborations between artists and scientists, producing groundbreaking works like those featured in 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering (1966), where Whitman’s Two Holes of Water – 3 incorporated live video feeds and projections from cars. His interest in technology continued to evolve, leading to later projects that utilized lasers, telephones, and even NFTs, such as his 2023 work New Worlds.
Educated in literature at Rutgers University (1953–1957) and briefly in art history at Columbia University (1958), Whitman initially aspired to be a playwright before shifting to visual and performance art. His career spanned over six decades, marked by solo exhibitions at institutions like Pace Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, and Dia Art Foundation, where his work remains celebrated for its experimental spirit. Whitman passed away on January 19, 2024, at his home in Warwick, New York, leaving a lasting legacy as an artist who bridged art, science, and human experience.
