Alan Rath is known for his unique approach to contemporary art through his creation of mechanical sculpture. Rath showed interest in art at an early age and was inspired by the kinetic sculpture of Alexander Calder and Jean Tinguely after seeing their work in a museum.

Rath was born in Ohio in 1959 and even as a child experimented with electronic devices. His quest for knowledge about electronics and design led him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he majored in Physics but later switched over to Electrical Engineering. Before graduating from college in 1982, he had the opportunity to work at MITs Visual Language Workshop, the Architecture Machine Group, and the Center for Advanced Visual Studies. As a self-ta...