RICK PROL
Américain
Né en 1956
Rick Prol is a New York-based artist who received his B.F.A. from Cooper Union in 1980 and quickly became an influential figure in the East Village art scene of the early 1980s. He began exhibiting his exuberant works in New York galleries as early as 1982, with a landmark solo show at Hal Bromm Gallery in 1984. Known for his grotesque yet humorous characters in dystopian urban scenes, Prol’s work combines bold, vibrant colors to critique human folly and suffering with an absurd, one-of-a-kind style.
Critic Edward Leffingwell has described Prol as a “master of gothic angst,” and his art indeed fuses a variety of influences, from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to flamenco music, from Martha Graham’s choreography to Goya’s haunting visuals. Emerging from the punk-infused atmosphere of 1980s New York, Prol mixes metaphysical themes with surreal subconscious imagery. His dreamlike, dystopian works feature symbolic elements like stacked cars, wooded hills, pirate ships, and his signature “cat-o-pus,” a recurring hybrid creature. His compositions often include everyday items—doors, shattered windows, and found materials—blended into his unique paintings. This unconventional handling of space and scale creates a poetic, skewed effect, inviting viewers into narratives with open-ended interpretations.
Over his 35-year career, Prol has exhibited at major institutions, including the Smithsonian Libraries Collection, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., MoMA and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His work is part of both public and private collections worldwide, and he has shown internationally at galleries such as Leeahn Gallery in South Korea, Kaj Forsblom Gallery in Finland, and in New York’s Dorian Grey Gallery and Hal Bromm Gallery.
Rick Prol’s work continues to explore themes of violence, innocence, and human existence within dystopian settings. Introspective and deeply personal, his art often draws on childhood memories and his artistic roots. In 2012, his contribution to contemporary art was highlighted in a retrospective at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, showcasing the enduring impact of his unique vision.
« I am drawn to certain things in the real world, in my subconscious, in dreams, art history, and contemporary artists. I incorporate objects from the tangible world: buckets, doors, broken windows, dirt, and all sorts of found materials. I distill it down to an essence that aligns with my emotions. My vision is dystopian and absurd. My attacks and defenses are abstract in that there are no heroes or villains—only victims, oppressors, and innocents. I don’t make an explicit political statement, as it would dilute their power. I paint in a state of total calm, dictated by my process. I feel nothing while I work. Only the formal elements of the piece captivate me, and I stay present and alert to capture what’s already within me, without trying to paint it. There’s no catharsis. I always pick up where I left off. I can travel through time and draw from my own work what I need today. My own past is an image bank I tap into occasionally. I try to renew what has been there from the beginning, for a very long time, even back to my childhood. In my youth, certain things resonated very powerfully, and they express themselves now in my art. I didn’t know why at the time, like a particular shade of green I once saw in Chinatown at night—it struck me so deeply that I never forgot it. I use that green now. »
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EDUCATION
1971 – 1975 - High School of Music and Art, New York
1974 – 1975 - Joffrey Ballet, Scholarship Program, New York
1975 – 1976 - New York Studio School, New York
1976 – 1980 - Cooper Union, B.F.A., New York
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 - Cracked Window, Leeahn Gallery,Daegu, South Korea, May 6th – June 26th - Cracked Window, Leeahn Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, March 11th – April 24th.
2015 - Under the Stars, The Dorian Grey Gallery, New York, USA, May 7th – June 20th.
2003 - Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1996 - Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1993 - Kaj Forsblom Gallery, Helsinki - Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
2003 - Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1996 - Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1993 - Kaj Forsblom Gallery, Helsinki - Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
1992 - Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1991 - Willoughby Sharp Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1987 - Peter Miller Gallery, Chicago - Saint Marks Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1986 - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - Nada Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1985 - Barbara Farber Gallery, Amsterdam - Hal Bromm, Gallery, New York, NY, USA - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1984 - Hal Bromm Gallery, New York, NY, USA - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - East 7th Street Gallery, New York, USA
1983 - Piezo Electric Gallery, New York, NY, USA - Red Bar, New York, NY, USA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 - Accrochage saisonnier, Ghost Galerie, Paris, France, Janvier-Juin 2022
2021 - Ghost DNA – exposition d’ouverture – opening exhibition, Ghost galerie, Paris, France, July 7th – September 4th. - Nos Fantômes – exposition inaugurale, Ghost galerie, Paris, France. 10 Septembre – 20 Novembre, 2021 - Metamorphosis, Hal Bromm Gallery, Lower Manhattan, New York, USA, June 23rd – August 19th.
2017 - Exuberant 80s : An East Village Painters, Circlem Johannes Vogtm Upper East Side, New York, USA, April 2nd – April 30th.
2014 - Witness — The Cedar Tavern Phone Booth Show, Westbeth Gallery, Greenwich Village, New York, USA, April 12th – 27th.
2013 - James Romberger & Rick Prol, The Dorian Grey Gallery, New Yotrk, USA, October 16th – November 23rd.
2007 - Time’s Up, Benefit, Protest Space, New York, NY, USA - Apokolypsis, May – August curated by Young Curators of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, Virginia, USA.
2006 - Postcards from the Edge, Dec., presented by Sikkema Jenkins & Co. New York, NY, US, December 1st – 3rd. - Native Spirit, March. – April, curated by ; David Gibson, Supreme Trading, Bklyn, NY, USA - The Family, curated by : Ronnie Cutrone, Jonathan Shorr Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2005 - Street Urchins curated by Ronnie Cutrone, Casola Gallery, June – August, Peekskill NY, NY, USA - Vintage East Village, curated by Rick Prol, Hal Bromm Gallery, January – March, New York, NY, USA - East Village USA, curated by Dan Cameron, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY, USA
2004 - East Village USA, curated by Rick Prol and Jan Lynn Sokota, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2003 - The Proposition Gallery, Arteries/ The Living Museum, curated by James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook
2002 – 2001 - Postcards From the Edge, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2000 - Art as Not’, Gregg Smith Collection, St. Louis, MO, USA - Hiding in Plain Sight, 450 Broadway Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1999 - NY2K Curated by Rich Colicchio, Tracy Zungola and Carlo McCormick at El Bohio Cultural Center, New York, NY, USA - Heyday, Art from the East Village – The 1980’s, Life Cafe, New York, NY, USA - Valentine 99, Curated by Annie Heron & Larry Walczak, Eyewash Gallery, Brooklyn, USA - Littles, Jeffrey Coploff Fine Art Ltd., New York, NY, USA - Cadaver Dog, Curated by Rick Prol, Life Cafe, New York, NY, USA - Souvenirs/ Document : 20 Years, PS 122, New York, NY, USA - Déjà Jadis, 20TH Anniversary
1997 - Current Undercurrent : Working in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY, USA
1996 - “Riptron” Curated by Rick Prol & Todd Hignite, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Waterline” Black and Herroa Gallery, New York, NY, USA - ‘Last Roundup” Livestock Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1995 - “Others Rooms” Work by Artists from four Brooklyn, Spaces, Ronald Feldman Fine-Arts, New York, NY, USA - 1st Holiday Group Show, Mary Anthony’s Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Page 17” Curated by Gary Peterson, 450 Broadway Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Doggie Style” Curated by Rick Prol, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1993 - “Summer Group Show” Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Group Show” Curated by Annie Herron, Test Site Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Boundaries” Curated by David Betz, New York, NY, USA - “Variations in Abstraction” Curated by Tom Schreiber Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
1992 - “Group Show” Franck Bustamante Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1991 - “Painting” Vacuum Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1971 – 1975 - High School of Music and Art, New York
1974 – 1975 - Joffrey Ballet, Scholarship Program, New York
1975 – 1976 - New York Studio School, New York
1976 – 1980 - Cooper Union, B.F.A., New York
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 - Cracked Window, Leeahn Gallery,Daegu, South Korea, May 6th – June 26th - Cracked Window, Leeahn Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, March 11th – April 24th.
2015 - Under the Stars, The Dorian Grey Gallery, New York, USA, May 7th – June 20th.
2003 - Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1996 - Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1993 - Kaj Forsblom Gallery, Helsinki - Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
2003 - Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1996 - Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1993 - Kaj Forsblom Gallery, Helsinki - Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
1992 - Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1991 - Willoughby Sharp Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1987 - Peter Miller Gallery, Chicago - Saint Marks Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1986 - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - Nada Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1985 - Barbara Farber Gallery, Amsterdam - Hal Bromm, Gallery, New York, NY, USA - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1984 - Hal Bromm Gallery, New York, NY, USA - B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - East 7th Street Gallery, New York, USA
1983 - Piezo Electric Gallery, New York, NY, USA - Red Bar, New York, NY, USA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 - Accrochage saisonnier, Ghost Galerie, Paris, France, Janvier-Juin 2022
2021 - Ghost DNA – exposition d’ouverture – opening exhibition, Ghost galerie, Paris, France, July 7th – September 4th. - Nos Fantômes – exposition inaugurale, Ghost galerie, Paris, France. 10 Septembre – 20 Novembre, 2021 - Metamorphosis, Hal Bromm Gallery, Lower Manhattan, New York, USA, June 23rd – August 19th.
2017 - Exuberant 80s : An East Village Painters, Circlem Johannes Vogtm Upper East Side, New York, USA, April 2nd – April 30th.
2014 - Witness — The Cedar Tavern Phone Booth Show, Westbeth Gallery, Greenwich Village, New York, USA, April 12th – 27th.
2013 - James Romberger & Rick Prol, The Dorian Grey Gallery, New Yotrk, USA, October 16th – November 23rd.
2007 - Time’s Up, Benefit, Protest Space, New York, NY, USA - Apokolypsis, May – August curated by Young Curators of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, Virginia, USA.
2006 - Postcards from the Edge, Dec., presented by Sikkema Jenkins & Co. New York, NY, US, December 1st – 3rd. - Native Spirit, March. – April, curated by ; David Gibson, Supreme Trading, Bklyn, NY, USA - The Family, curated by : Ronnie Cutrone, Jonathan Shorr Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2005 - Street Urchins curated by Ronnie Cutrone, Casola Gallery, June – August, Peekskill NY, NY, USA - Vintage East Village, curated by Rick Prol, Hal Bromm Gallery, January – March, New York, NY, USA - East Village USA, curated by Dan Cameron, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY, USA
2004 - East Village USA, curated by Rick Prol and Jan Lynn Sokota, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2003 - The Proposition Gallery, Arteries/ The Living Museum, curated by James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook
2002 – 2001 - Postcards From the Edge, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2000 - Art as Not’, Gregg Smith Collection, St. Louis, MO, USA - Hiding in Plain Sight, 450 Broadway Gallery, New York, NY, USA 1999 - NY2K Curated by Rich Colicchio, Tracy Zungola and Carlo McCormick at El Bohio Cultural Center, New York, NY, USA - Heyday, Art from the East Village – The 1980’s, Life Cafe, New York, NY, USA - Valentine 99, Curated by Annie Heron & Larry Walczak, Eyewash Gallery, Brooklyn, USA - Littles, Jeffrey Coploff Fine Art Ltd., New York, NY, USA - Cadaver Dog, Curated by Rick Prol, Life Cafe, New York, NY, USA - Souvenirs/ Document : 20 Years, PS 122, New York, NY, USA - Déjà Jadis, 20TH Anniversary
1997 - Current Undercurrent : Working in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY, USA
1996 - “Riptron” Curated by Rick Prol & Todd Hignite, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Waterline” Black and Herroa Gallery, New York, NY, USA - ‘Last Roundup” Livestock Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1995 - “Others Rooms” Work by Artists from four Brooklyn, Spaces, Ronald Feldman Fine-Arts, New York, NY, USA - 1st Holiday Group Show, Mary Anthony’s Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Page 17” Curated by Gary Peterson, 450 Broadway Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Doggie Style” Curated by Rick Prol, B-Side Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1993 - “Summer Group Show” Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Group Show” Curated by Annie Herron, Test Site Gallery, New York, NY, USA - “Boundaries” Curated by David Betz, New York, NY, USA - “Variations in Abstraction” Curated by Tom Schreiber Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA
1992 - “Group Show” Franck Bustamante Gallery, New York, NY, USA
1991 - “Painting” Vacuum Gallery, New York, NY, USA
EPOCHAL VISIONS: AN EXHAUSTIVE CHRONICLE OF WORKS BELONGING OR HAVING BELONGED TO THE GALLERY’S COLLECTIONS
