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Returning to Vienna at the end of the war, Rauch studied architecture before a severe bout of bone tuberculosis landed him in a hospital for two years. It was during his recuperation that he took up art with a passion that drove him for the rest of his days.
His first one-man shows were held in Vienna in 1952. It was there, a little more than a decade later, that he met his U.S. wife Phyllis, his life partner for the past 40 years. The couple lived in New York and Laguna Beach, California before discovering the delights of Mexico in the late 1960's and finally setting down roots in the Lake Chapala area 30 years ago.
Rauch's life centered in his studio where he labored diligently exploring various media as he turned out an astonishing body of work that includes 2,000 numbered oil paintings, along with hundreds of serigraphs, watercolors and sculptures. His paintings have been exhibited in leading galleries across Europe, the United States and Mexico. In 2000, the Jalisco Ministry of Culture paid him tribute with a major retrospective marking a 50-year artistic career.
Labeling himself as an expressionist, Rauch delved deep within to draw the inner workings of his persona, a tendency reflected most notably in an ongoing series of clown-faced self-portraits and his haunting Mexican landscapes.
In a catalogue of his work published in the 1990s, he wrote: "In many of my paintings you can see at least a small portion of the horizon. From time immemorial this dividing line between land or water and the sky has symbolized for me distance, and the yearning or curiosity to discover what lies beyond."
Rauch was distinguished not only by his immense talent, but also by an irrepressible joie de vivre and his generous spirit. He took great pleasure in sharing his knowledge, skills and insights as a mentor to many budding artists who sought his counsel. His first charitable contribution to the lakeside area took the form of a playground he designed and built for youngsters in the tiny village of El Molino.
In addition to his beloved spouse, Rauch leaves behind a daughter, Nini Rauch, and two grandchildren, Pina and Pablo Rauch, of Kirchberg, Austria.
In lieu of a memorial service, friends and admirers are invited to join in celebrating the artist's life during a presentation of his wartime memoirs complemented with an exhibit of his works that had already been scheduled for Sunday, December 3, 2-4 p.m., now planned with a change of venue to the gardens of the Lake Chapala Society.
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