Rene Ricard

Rene Ricard (1946 – 2014) was an American poet and painter who achieved status in the art world dating back to his involvement with Andy Warhol, appearing in several of his films such as Kitchen (1965) and Chelsea Girls (1966). Well known for his influential essays in Artforum, Ricard held a major role establishing the careers of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Ricard published four volumes of poems: René Ricard 1979–1980; God With Revolver (1990), which included his visual representations of the poems; Trusty Sarcophagus Co (1990); and Love Poems (1999), which collected his verse alongside drawings by Robert Hawkins. Ricard’s paintings have been exhibited at Petersburg Gallery, Cheim & Read (New York), Half Gallery (New York), Vito Schnabel Presents (New York & Los Angeles), and the 2011 Brucennial. His work is in the permanent collections of the British Museum (London) and the Museum of Modern Art (New York), as well as the private collections of Brice and Helen Marden, Francesco Clemente, and Andy Spade.