Chris Burden was known for his installation art. He was also particularly skilled in the performance arts and sculpture. Burden was born in Massachusetts, and grew up there, as well as in France and Italy. This shaped his interpretation of art. After healing from a a foot injury in Italy when he was 12, he developed an interest in visual art, particularly photography. Chris Burden went on to study at the University of California Irvine, where he majored in physics, architecture and visual art. He was also taught by Robert Irwin while he attended college. Chris Burden is perhaps most widely known for his piece Trans-Fixed, which he created in the spring of 1974 in Venice, California. This was a performance piece in which Burden had nails driven into his hands while he lay face up on a Volkswagen Beetle. Chris Burden was married to Nancy Rubins, a multi-media artist. Previously, he was married to Barbara Burden, who participated in many of his art pieces. Chris Burden passed away at the age of 69 from melanoma. Read Less