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Jim Ricks is an American–born Irish conceptual artist, writer, and curator. He has exhibited throughout Ireland and internationally, including a number of public art projects.


Early life and education

Ricks was born in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California. He started painting
graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
in the early 1990s. He studied photography and graduated from the
California College of the Arts The California College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded in Berkeley, California in 1907 and moved to a historic estate in Oakland, California in 1922. In 1996, it opened a second campus in ...
(2002), and received a Masters degree from the
National University of Ireland, Galway The University of Galway () is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Galway" (UCG) () from 1908 to 1997 and as ...
, and
Burren College of Art Burren College of Art is an Irish non-profit independent art college specialising in undergraduate and graduate Fine Art education, located in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland. The Master of Fine Art programme is accredited by the Universit ...
programme (2007).


Career

Ricks's work utilises appropriation, institutional critique, politics, and humour. He has had solo shows in the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Mexico. Ricks was director of
126 Artist-run Gallery 126 Artist-run Gallery is an artist-run space located in Galway City, Ireland. It was founded in 2005 and, according to the ''Galway Advertiser'', has "built an international reputation for ambitious programming". History Origins 126 was foun ...
from 2007 to 2009, curating a number of shows and organizing exchanges with other
artist-run space An artist-run space or artist-run centre (Canada) is a gallery or other facility operated or directed by artists, frequently circumventing the structures of public art centers, museums, or commercial galleries and allowing for a more experimental ...
s. With Stephanie Syjuco, he created knock-offs of work at the
Frieze Art Fair Frieze Art Fair is an annual contemporary art, contemporary art festival, art fair first held in 2003 in London's Regent's Park. Developed by the founders of the contemporary art magazine ''Frieze (magazine), Frieze'', the fair has since expan ...
in London, 2009. In an ongoing body of work, "Jim Ricks has developed the method of ''synchro-materialism'' as a means to consider the territory where art meets capitalism", and he has used this
methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...
in exhibition, performance, and print since 2010. In 2015 he travelled to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
to make ''Carpet Bombing'', a large traditionally made
carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...
featuring imagery of military drones – an updated version of Afghan's
war rugs The war rug () tradition of Afghanistan has its origins in the decade of Soviet–Afghan War, Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 and has continued through the subsequent military, political and social conflicts. Afghan rug-makers began i ...
. He participated in the 2017 Ghetto Biennale,
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The me ...
, Haiti.


Public projects

* ''Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen'' is a large inflatable sculpture designed for people to interact with and play on. It is a twice-the-size replica of a 6,000-year-old megalithic portal tomb, the
Poulnabrone Dolmen Poulnabrone dolmen () is a large dolmen (or cromlech, a type of single-chamber portal tomb) located in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. Situated on one of the region's most desolate and highest points, it comprises three standing portal ston ...
situated in
The Burren The Burren ( ; ) is a karst/glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.
, County Clare. It traveled to venues around the Slieve Aughty, Aughty Region of
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
in June 2011 and was a
Galway County Council Galway County Council () is the Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local authority of County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ho ...
project.
Cristín Leach Cristín Leach (born 8 January 1976) is an Irish author, radio and television presenter, journalist, and art critic. Biography Leach began her journalism career when she was eight, working for the ''RTÉ Guide'' as one of their young book revi ...
of
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
wrote:
"We need to start thinking more creatively about public art. Jim Ricks has. Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen... is a commentary on our past, our present, the concept of "brand Ireland" and the very idea of public art; and everyone is invited to bounce. A temporary, movable, witty, interactive, contemporary public artwork we are all invited to play with?
lice Louse (: lice) is the common name for any member of the infraorder Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera was previously recognized as an order, until a 2021 genetic study determined th ...
Maher has endorsed it as "the best public art piece...ever". She might just be right."
The piece was also shown alongside
Jeremy Deller Jeremy Deller (born 30 March 1966) is an English people, English conceptual, video and installation artist. Much of Deller's work is Collaboration, collaborative; it has a strong political aspect, in the subjects dealt with and also the Idealiz ...
's 2012 inflatable
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric Megalith, megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, to ...
, ''Sacrilege,'' in Belfast, and was featured in the
Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the Royal Irish Academy, the academy retained the word "Royal" after mo ...
exhibition Futures 12. * Ricks is working on the long-term, global public art project '' In Search of the Truth'' (or '' En Busca de la Verdad'' ). It is a collaboration with Ryan Alexiev,
Hank Willis Thomas Hank Willis Thomas (born 1976) is an American conceptual artist. Based in Brooklyn, New York, he works primarily with themes related to identity, history, and popular culture. Early life and education Hank Willis Thomas was born in 1976 in P ...
.
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
writes: "The "Truth Booth," a roving, inflatable creation, in the shape of a cartoon word bubble with "TRUTH" in bold letters on its side, serves as a video confessional. Visitors are asked to sit inside and finish the politically and metaphysically loaded sentence that begins, "The truth is ..."". The project has travelled Ireland, Afghanistan, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Mexico, recording and then exhibiting the thoughts of many people on the subject of
truth Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...
in several countries. * ''Life's a Beach (Art imitates life)'', Gable end mural responding to the political
Murals in Northern Ireland Murals in Northern Ireland have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the region's past and present political and religious divisions. Belfast and Derry are home to many of the most famous political murals in Europe. In 2014, the book '' ...
, Abercorn Rd.,
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, April 2016 * ''Sesiones Publicas'', San Agustín, La Lisa, Cuba, a LASA project, August 2017. * He helped to restore the
Albert Power (sculptor) Albert George Power (16 November 1881 – 10 July 1945) was an Irish sculptor in the academic Realism (art movement), realist style. He is particularly known for his iconic statue of the Irish writer Pádraic Ó Conaire. Early life and family ...
sculpture in County Galway, Ireland.


Museum projects

Ricks was involved in a 2 year project, ''Sleepwalkers'' (2012–15), at the
Hugh Lane Gallery The Hugh Lane Gallery, and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its wholly-owned company, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House (built 1763) on Parnell Square, Dub ...
in Dublin. Six artists were invited to an "unusual experiment in exhibition production". Ricks's contributions included an unauthorised exhibition, a curated open call (''Future Perfec''t), a solo show (''Bubblewrap Game: Hugh Lane)'', and closing event and performances.
Aidan Dunne Aidan Dunne is a visual arts critic and contributor to ''The Irish Times.'' Education Dunne is a graduate of the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Career Aidan Dunne has written regularly for ''The Irish Times'' for decades. He ...
of the
Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
describes Ricks's offerings as a "curatorial process of selection and validation, making a museum within the museum comprising works from the real collection, artworks borrowed from elsewhere, non-art objects from flea markets and a commissioned copy of an
Ed Ruscha Edward Joseph Ruscha IV (, ''roo-SHAY''; born December 16, 1937) is an American artist associated with the anti- pop art movement. He has worked in the media of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, and film. He is also noted for creating s ...
painting." During the programme, he also included works by
Richard Hamilton (artist) Richard William Hamilton (24 February 1922 – 13 September 2011) was an English painter and collage artist. His 1955 exhibition ''Man, Machine and Motion'' ( Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne) and his 1956 collage '' Just what is it that ...
, James Barry,
Jeremy Deller Jeremy Deller (born 30 March 1966) is an English people, English conceptual, video and installation artist. Much of Deller's work is Collaboration, collaborative; it has a strong political aspect, in the subjects dealt with and also the Idealiz ...
,
Gerard Dillon Gerard Dillon (191614 June 1971) was an Irish painter and artist. Life Dillon was born in Belfast, he left school at the age of fourteen and for seven years worked as a painter and decorator, mostly in London. From an early age he was intere ...
,
Robert Ballagh Robert Ballagh (; born 22 September 1943) is an Irish artist, painter and designer. Born in suburban Dublin, Ballagh's initial painting style was strongly influenced by pop art. He is also known for his hyperrealistic renderings of Irish lite ...
, :fr:Raphaël_Zarka, and James Hanley. Ricks was part of ''Age of Terror: Art since 9/11'' at the
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
, London, 2018–19. He exhibited work made in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
with Ryan Alexiev, Hank Willis Thomas, and Najeebullah Najeeb at the Trotsky Museum in Mexico City in 2022.


Solo exhibitions

*2010 – ''Synchromaterialism'', Pallas Contemporary Projects, Dublin, Ireland *2013–2014 – ''Bubble Wrap Game: The Hugh Lane'',
Hugh Lane Gallery The Hugh Lane Gallery, and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its wholly-owned company, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House (built 1763) on Parnell Square, Dub ...
, Dublin, Ireland *2015 – ''Alien Invader Super Baby (Synchromaterialism IV)'' Onomatopee,
Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...
, The Netherlands *2016–2017 – ''Centro de Ontología Nacional'', Casa Maauad, Mexico City, Mexico *2018 – ''Museo Ambulante Sebastián'', Mexico City, Mexico *2020 ''– Así Luce la Democracia , This is What Democracy Looks Like'', Galeria Daniela Elbahara, Mexico City, Mexico *2021–2022 ''– El camino a París y Londres pasa por las aldeas de Afganistán'', Leon Trotsky Museum, Mexico City


Bibliography

* Ricks, Jim (Editor), ''Artist-run democracy: sustaining a model, 15 years of 126 gallery'', Eindhoven: Onomatopee, 2022. ISBN 9789493148734 * de Búrca, Ella, Michaële Cutaya, Jim Ricks. ''IRLDADA: 201916''. Mexico City: Black Crown Press, 2019. *Ricks, Jim. ''Alien Invader Super Baby (Synchromaterialism VI)''. Eindhoven: Onomatopee, 2018. *Packer, Matt, Declan Long, and Jim Ricks. "Here Comes The Summer", Derry: Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry, 2017. *Bossan, Enrico. ''2016 an image of Ireland : contemporary artists from Ireland''. Crocetta del Montello: Antiga edizioni, 2016. * Edited by Michael Dempsey and Logan Sisley. ''Sleepwalkers''. Dublin:
Hugh Lane Gallery The Hugh Lane Gallery, and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its wholly-owned company, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House (built 1763) on Parnell Square, Dub ...
and Ridinghouse, 2015.


See also

* Conceptual art * Appropriation *
Post-Internet Post-Internet is a 21st-century art movement involving works that are derived from the Internet or its effects on aesthetics, culture and society. Definition Post-Internet is a loosely-defined term that was coined by artist/curator Marisa Olson ...
*
Gesamtkunstwerk A ''Gesamtkunstwerk'' (, 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. ...
*
Synchromysticism Synchromysticism is the practice of attributing mystical or esoteric significance to coincidences. The word, a portmanteau of synchronicity and mysticism, was coined by Jake Kotze in August 2006. Valis. ''The Cryptic Cosmology of Synchromysticism' ...


References


External links


Official websiteShower of Kunst
– art writing {{DEFAULTSORT:Ricks, Jim Living people 21st-century American artists American conceptual artists Artists from California Irish contemporary artists Mexican contemporary artists Artists from San Francisco People from Galway (city) California College of the Arts alumni Alumni of the University of Galway Year of birth missing (living people)