RENE RICARD
3rd April 2008 to 30th April 2008
Rene Ricard is an American poet and painter. Since the early 1970s, Ricard has been one of America's most controversial arbiters of taste.
Ricard became part of the scene surrounding Warhol’s Factory. He appeared in such classic Warhol films as Kitchen and Chelsea Girls. As a performer, Ricard was a founding participant in the Theater of the Ridiculous, collaborating with John Vaccaro and Charles Ludlam. By the early 1980s Ricard achieved status in the art world through his influential essays. His editorials in ArtForum magazine helped to catapult the careers of artists such as, Brice Marden, Keith Haring and Francesco Clemente to the forefront of the 80’s New York art scene. In 1981 Ricard’s “The Radiant Child” appeared in ArtForum Magazine. For most people, this was their first introduction to Jean-Michel Basquiat.
“What Every Young Sissy Should Know” will show a variety of Ricard’s work integrating imagery and the lyrics of his poems. This exhibition is curated by Vito Schnabel. Schnabel, now 21 years old, curated his first exhibition at only 16 and has now independently presented the work of 11 artists with a passion far beyond his years. Following their joint success introducing to London the work of Vahakn Arslanian in 2007, Vito and Scream director, Tyrone Wood are pleased to present the first exhibition of Rene Ricard in the UK.