Robert Heinecken

(American, 1931–2006)

Robert Heinecken was an American artist who made photographic images, often without the use of an actual camera. Born in Denver in 1931, Heinecken grew up in Riverside, California. He enrolled in the Navy in 1954, and served as an officer in the Marines until 1957. After his time in the service, Heinecken studied printmaking and photography at UCLA, earning both a bachelor's and master's degrees in art. His work is characterized by the appropriation of images from popular media, including magazines and newspapers. In 1962, he started the photography program at UCLA, teaching there until 1991. His work is characterized by the appropriation of images from popular media, including magazines and newspapers. Although during his life his work was shown in traditional photography galleries, curators now place his work alongside Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, and Richard Prince because of his innovative work with images. His work has been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.