Early Life and Influences Born: Rochester, Indiana (1927) Died: 2011 on Shelter Island, New York Raised primarily by his grandmother after his parents' divorce; spent much of his youth in Chicago. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. Studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1951–52) and Black Mountain College (1955–56). At Black Mountain, he was influenced by poets Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, and Robert Duncan, fostering an appreciation for language in his art. Moved to New York in 1957, beginning to incorporate scrap-metal auto parts into his sculptures. Artistic De…