Andre Racz
I studied drawing under Andre at Columbia University. He is still one of my biggest influences.
One of America's most influential artists of the post 1950's era, Andre Racz was actually born and raised in Rumania and studied art at the University of Bucharest where he received his BA in 1935. He moved permanently to New York in 1939 and became an American citizen in 1948. He completed his artistic education there at both the New School for Social Research and at the renowned Atelier 17 (1943-45). Under the direction of Stanley William Hayter, Atelier 17 became the focal point for avant guarde printmaking. At this early date its two most controversial young artists were Andre Racz and Mauricio Lasansky who both created prints that elaborated upon Picasso's savagely distorted and anguished imagery. One author writes, "In the mid 1940's, Racz created expressive and shocking imagery, but was not yet free from the influences of Picasso and Hayter. ... Andre Racz and Mauricio Lasansky worked their way through such transitional stages until Picasso's influence on them waned and their prints displayed the highly personal and mature characteristics that made them, in turn, influential printmakers." * (James Watrous, A Century of American Printmaking: 1880-1980, Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, 1984, p. 134.)
After leaving Atelier 17, Racz traveled extensively throughout South and Latin America. In fact he taught at the University of Chile in 1948. Upon returning to America Racz accepted the post of Professor at the University of Columbia (1951-1974).
Andre Racz was a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists. His original etchings and engravings are included in such far reaching collections as the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Library of Congress, Washington, the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Museo de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile, the National Gallery, Oslo, the Art Gallery of Salzburg, and the Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City.
