1930-1992 - Born in Benicia, California, Robert Arneson almost singlehandedly transformed ceramics into a major contemporary medium. In the early 1960s, he became a member of the Funk Art movement, a California style of Pop-Art focusing on absurd images of everyday objects. In the 1970s, he began using humorous portraits as subjects. He gave his pieces ironic titles and incorporated graffiti, giving him an opportunity to play whimsical games with the work. In the 1970s, he began using humorous portraits as subject matter, sculpting his friends, heroes, and himself--all with ironic comments on the human condition. His works also became increasingly larger, making them a combination of sculpture and ceramics, and with his introduction of colored glazes, he was part of a generation that integrated painting and sculpture.