Robert Wilson, an experimental theater stage director, playwright, founder and artistic director of The Watermill Center, died on July 31. He was 83.
Wilson’s death was confirmed on his personal website. “Robert Wilson died peacefully today in Water Mill, New York, at the age of 83, after a brief but acute illness,” said a statement. “While facing his diagnosis with clear eyes and determination, he still felt compelled to keep working and creating right up until the very end. His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson’s artistic legacy.”
Born in Waco, Texas, Wilson moved to Brooklyn to pursue a career in art and architecture. While at university, Wilson found himself drawn to the careers of choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and George Balanchine. In 1968, Wilson founded the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds where he directed his first major works, beginning with 1969’s “The King of Spain” and “The Life and Times of Sigmund Freud.”
As a frequent collaborator with Phillip Glass, Wilson wrote “Einstein on the Beach,” a seminal opera. Wilson worked with several major figures in the theatre and literature world such as William Burroughs, Susan Sontag and Lou Reed.
Previously, Wilson was the recipient of the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, an Olivier Award and received a Pulitzer Prize nomination. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the German Academy of the Arts, and held eight honorary doctorate degrees.
