Ray Johnson: En Rapport November 2, 2006

Ray Johnson (1927-1995) was an artist of great originality and influence whose collages and ideas prefigured several art developments. After attending Black Mountain College, Johnson moved to New York City in 1948 and joined company with, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol among others. Acknowledged as a seminal figure of Pop Art, Johnson is also considered "the founding father of Mail Art". The work of the reclusive Johnson, who has been called "New York's most famous unknown artist", was ahead of its time in its conceptual approach and challenge to the commercial and critical establishment. With his suicide in 1995, considered by many to be his final "performance," the extent of his work and its real conceptual contribution can now be seen and appreciated by a new audience.