2 Photos
Robert Wilson at the 2019 Watermill Center benefit. DOUG KUNTZ
Robert Wilson at the 2019 Watermill Center benefit. DANA SHAW
Robert Wilson — an artist, theater and opera director, architect, set and lighting designer, and founder of The Watermill Center in Water Mill — died on Thursday, July 31, following a brief illness, according to a press release from the organization. He was 83.
Born on October 4, 1941, in Texas, Wilson studied architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, the foundation of his legacy as a leader in avant-garde theater and the visual arts.
On the stage, Wilson developed a unique style and method that juxtaposed conventional approaches to theater.
“His works have touched, inspired and influenced generations of artists and audiences since the 1960s,” the press release said.
He founded and developed The Watermill Center as an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts and humanities, the release continued.
“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,” it said.
Wilson is survived by his sister, Suzanne, and his niece, Lori.
A full obituary will appear in next week’s editions.
Staff Writer on Jul 31, 2025