It was dreams of emulating the great engineer Leonardo DaVinci that led William Rabinovitch ‘58 to WPI, but as DaVinci ultimately became most known for his artistic talents, so too did Rabinovitch.
Like DaVinci, Rabinovitch was fascinated with flight, and upon graduation, the mechanical engineering major followed his dreams to the United States Air Force jet pilot training program. From there, his early career included work with some of the top engineering programs in the country including RCA, NASA, and General Dynamics; but after learning to paint at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts his life course would change forever.
“In 1963 I bought a used VW bus and moved to the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco to become the full-time artist I’ve been ever since. From Haight-Ashbury, I spent a short time living in a derelict cannery on Cannery Row on Monterey Bay, and I eventually returned to San Francisco and earned my MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute.”
Next for Rabinovitch was a move back to the East Coast, where he settled into New York’s SoHo art scene. Fifty-years later, Rabinovitch continues to live and make art in SoHo. “I got to know the workings of SoHo and became very much a part of what was going on in a number of ways, not only through my paintings. By the early 1970s, SoHo had become the center of the international art world, and it was a tremendously exciting place.”
“I gained a tremendous education at WPI, but what’s been most valuable to me during my career is how WPI helps students train their minds with the ability to think outside the box.”
William Rabinovitch ’58
When asked how his WPI education impacted his career as an artist, Rabinovitch says, “My WPI education proved valuable in many ways. I gained a tremendous education at WPI, but what’s been most valuable to me during my career is how WPI helps students train their minds with the ability to think outside the box.”
Uninterested in what sells commercially, but very interested in chasing and then rendering his inner visions, Rabinovitch has described himself as a starving artist locked in an endless cycle of creation. “From the outset of being an artist I wasn’t in it for the commercial rewards aspect, as what I desired was on a deeper level, more deeply personal and satisfying - although challenging and difficult. Nonetheless, it was my path, and I’m grateful to be on it whatever might happen.”
With no sign of slowing down, the 87-year-old Rabinovitch says, “As an ongoing fully engaged artist, the idea of retirement remains a totally foreign concept to me.” He proves this by spending his days creating art, corresponding with art writers, writing a book, developing a long-form documentary and indie feature film about artist Jackson Pollock, and earlier this month Rabinovitch co-hosted the SoHo Artist Talk on Art Symposium.
Watch a video about Rabinovitch’s life and work here.