Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with Matt Hall, 2015Biographical NoteMatt Hall began working for Robert Rauschenberg in 1993 as the head of Landscape and Maintenance at Rauschenberg's property on Captiva Island, Florida. Over the years, his skills and knowledge expanded to include the fabrication of metal and art materials, working under the tutelage of Lawrence Voytek, Robert Rauschenberg’s fabricator for thirty years. Hall still works at the Captiva property and is currently the Facilities Supervisor for the Rauschenberg Foundation
Scope and ContentsMatt Hall describes his role as an art assistant and property manager. He recounts his arrival in Florida in 1982 and tells stories of working in hospitality before meeting Robert Rauschenberg at a local restaurant and becoming the property's caretaker in 1993. Hall describes his encounters with Rauschenberg's art-world fame, famous friends like Meryl Streep, and Rauschenberg's passionate and compassionate personality. He recalls Rauschenberg's hospitality, passes on stories of Rauschenberg's childhood in Port Arthur, Texas, and provides a history of the Captiva compound, beginning with Rauschenberg's initial purchase in 1971. He recalls meeting Rocky the turtle and Rauschenberg's conservationist streak. He describes changes following Rauschenberg's stroke and closes in the wake of 9/11 with a description of the emotional toll of the event and Rauschenberg's ongoing production of art despite his limited mobility
SubjectsAccess ConditionsCopyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, 2015
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