Born in 1925 in Texas. In 1942 he studied pharmacy at the University of Texas, following which he served in the U.S. Marines. In Kansas City from 1947-48, he did window displays, executed film sets and designed photographic studios. In 1948 he returned to the USA to study under Joseph Albers at the Black Mountain College, North Carolina. He met choreographer, Merce Cunningham, and composer, John Cage, and collaborated closely with them. Moved to New York and did window displays for Bonwit Teller and Tiffany. Had his first one-man exhibition in 1951. Travelled in Italy, France and Spain and started to paint his 'red' pictures. In 1955 moved into a studio in the same neighbourhood as Jasper Johns.

In 1958 had his first exhibition at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York and began his drawings to illustrate Dante's Inferno. In 1960 he met Marcel Duchamp and in 1962 used the silkscreen technique on canvas, mixed with painting, collage and fixed objects. In 1967 he made Revolvers with revolving plexiglass discs.

In 1975 he received the Honorary Degree of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida, and together with James Rosequist he became involved in action to re-examine taxation for art institutions. A large retrospective of his work was shown in several American cities from 1976-78. In 1980 he had retrospectives at Berlin, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich and London. His photographs were shown at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

He lives in New York City and on Captiva Island, Florida. In 1989 there was a world tour of his work.