Rene Ricard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rene Ricard
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Ricard in 2009
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| Born | Albert Napoleon Ricard July 23, 1946 Boston, United States |
| Died | February 1, 2014 (aged 67) New York City, United States |
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Rene Ricard (born July 23, 1946 – died February 1, 2014) was an American artist who did many things. He was a poet, an actor, an art critic (someone who writes about art), and a painter.
Life and Career
Rene Ricard was born as Albert Napoleon Ricard in Boston, a city in the United States. He grew up in a town called Acushnet, Massachusetts. When he was a teenager, he moved to Boston and became part of the city's writing and art scene.
By the time he was 18, he moved to New York City. There, he became a close friend and helper to the famous artist Andy Warhol. Rene Ricard even appeared in some of Warhol's films, like Kitchen (1965), Chelsea Girls (1966), and The Andy Warhol Story (1966).
Rene Ricard was also a performer in a type of theater called the Theater of the Ridiculous. He worked with people like John Vaccaro and Charles Ludlam. He also acted in other independent movies, which are films made outside of big Hollywood studios.
In the 1980s, Rene Ricard became very important in the art world. He wrote many influential essays for Artforum magazine, which is a well-known art publication. He helped start the career of painter Julian Schnabel. He also played a big part in making Jean-Michel Basquiat famous. In December 1981, Ricard wrote the first major article about Basquiat, called "The Radiant Child," in Artforum. This article helped introduce Basquiat's art to many people.
Rene Ricard also wrote essays for many art gallery shows and exhibition catalogs. The artist Jean-Michel Basquiat even drew a picture of Ricard called Untitled (Axe/Rene). This drawing showed the sometimes difficult relationship between the two artists.
Andy Warhol once described Ricard as "the George Sanders of the Lower East Side, the Rex Reed of the art world." This meant Ricard was known for being witty and sharp in his comments, much like these famous critics.
Starting in the mid-1960s, Rene Ricard wrote for many independent poetry magazines. His first book of poems was published in 1979 by the Dia Art Foundation. He later released other poetry books, including God With Revolver (1989), Trusty Sarcophagus Co. (1990), and Love Poems (1999). Some of his poems were even turned into paintings and drawings.
His artwork was shown in several solo exhibitions in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2004, Rene Ricard designed the album cover for Shadows Collide With People by the musician John Frusciante.
Rene Ricard was played by actor Michael Wincott in the 1996 movie Basquiat, which was about Jean-Michel Basquiat's life. For about 40 years, Rene Ricard lived on and off at the famous Hotel Chelsea in New York City, which was known for being home to many artists and writers.
Death
Rene Ricard passed away on February 1, 2014, at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. He was 67 years old and died from cancer.
