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George Rickey Art

American, 1907-2002
GEORGE RICKEY Born: South Bend, Indiana, 1907 Died: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2002 George Rickey spent over five decades committed to the creation of poetic and precisely-calibrated sculptures that he referred to as his “useless machines.” Of all the natural forces, it was the wind’s movement that most captured Rickey’s imagination. He once wrote, “The artist finds waiting for him, as subject, not the trees, not the flowers, not the landscape, but the waving of branches and the trembling of stems, the piling up or scudding of clouds, the rising and setting and waxing and waning of heavenly bodies.” Rickey began to devote himself to the investigation of motion in sculpture, producing dynamic works using simple geometric forms such as lines, squares, rectangles, circles, etc., in which his prodigious understanding of engineering and mechanics is demonstrable. Though the works enthusiastically collaborate with the interference of wind currents in their environment, the speed of their random movements are tempered by simple spacing and fixed arrangement of the elements. The relationship of the parts remains the same, but the dance is always changing. It is this tension that defines Rickey’s sculptures. “I think it’s important to make art that you have to wait for,” said the artist. As such, the works are able to oscillate gracefully through an infinite number of compositional iterations, engaging all aspects of the natural world around them—wind, light, rain, fog, or the lack thereof. Much of Rickey’s work was created in his studio in East Chatham, New York, where he settled in 1960. Prior to that time, the artist had lived and taught in Bloomington, IN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY, and throughout the Midwest. His childhood, youth and college years were spent in Scotland and Britain. Aside from East Chatham he had studios in Berlin, Germany and Santa Barbara, CA. George Rickey's work is included in the permanent collections of over 150 museums worldwide, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam and Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland, among many others. Key exhibitions include George Rickey: Monumental Sculptures on Park Avenue, New York (2021); A Life in Art: Works by George Rickey, Indianapolis Art Center, Indiana (2009); George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture, A Retrospective, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Florida; Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids and McNay Art Museum, San Antonio (2007-09); George Rickey: Kinetische Skulpturen, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany (2003) and George Rickey – Retrospective Exhibition, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (1979).
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Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By George Rickey

Located in New York, NY

Lithograph on white Arches Cover paper. One of 5 artist's proofs, aside from an edition of 35. Signed by the artist, dated and numbered, in Roman numerals, V/V in pencil, lower rig...

Category

1970s Abstract Geometric George Rickey Art

Materials

Lithograph

George Rickey, Lithograph, Signed and Limited Edition
George Rickey, Lithograph, Signed and Limited Edition

George Rickey, Lithograph, Signed and Limited Edition

By George Rickey

Located in Eltville am Rhein, DE

George Rickey South Bend 1907 - 2002 Saint Paul Untitled Lithograph Signed in pencil lower left Limited edition 88/150 Sheet size: approx. 37 x 27.5 cm

Category

1980s Abstract Geometric George Rickey Art

Materials

Lithograph

Apollo and Daphne

Apollo and Daphne

By George Rickey

Located in New York, NY

A superb, richly-inked impression of this extremely scarce, early etching, aquatint and engraving with hand coloring in watercolor on cream wove paper. Colors are strong with crisp, ...

Category

1940s Kinetic George Rickey Art

Materials

Watercolor, Engraving, Etching, Aquatint

Space Churn with Squares
Space Churn with Squares

Space Churn with Squares

By George Rickey

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Space Churn with Squares" is an abstract Post War kinetic sculpture in stainless steel sculpture by George Rickey in 1969. The artwork is 35 1/2 x 20 x 13 inches, weighing less than...

Category

20th Century Post-War George Rickey Art

Materials

Stainless Steel

Two Spirals
Two Spirals

George RickeyTwo Spirals, 1971

$24,000Sale Price|25% Off

Two Spirals

By George Rickey

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

Two Spirals, 1971 Metal with marble base Height at rest: 7 inches Signed and dated "Rickey 1971" on base Unique

Category

1970s Abstract Geometric George Rickey Art

Materials

Marble, Metal

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Previously Available Items
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Eight Lines II - Sketch for Twenty Four Lines
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By George Rickey

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Two Up One Down Staggered" is a Post-War abstract sculpture by George Rickey in 1967-1968. The artwork size is 97 x 52 x 8 inches. The sculpture weighs 30 lbs. It is signed on the b...

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Erker-Treffen 2

George RickeyErker-Treffen 2, 1974

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H 14.97 in W 11.03 in

Erker-Treffen 2

By George Rickey

Located in Paris, FR

Lithograph, 1974 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 152/200 Publisher : Erker (St. Gallen) LCD4751

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Two Open Rectangles Up Wall, Mounted
Two Open Rectangles Up Wall, Mounted

Two Open Rectangles Up Wall, Mounted

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Located in New York, NY

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George Rickey "Parallelepiped" Sculpture

George Rickey "Parallelepiped" Sculpture

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Located in West Palm Beach, FL

George Rickey kinetic sculpture signed and dated, edition of three. 3/3.

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Oblique Column of Open Squares

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George Rickey "Two Lines Leaning" Sculpture

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George Rickey Sculpture "Double Spirals"

George Rickey Sculpture "Double Spirals"

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Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Gold Plated Stainless Steel Wire sculpture 1972 An early example by the master of kinetic movement.

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George Rickey art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Rickey art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Rickey in lithograph, aquatint, engraving and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large George Rickey art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jack Sonenberg, Vincent Longo, and Ray Elman. George Rickey art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $32,000, while the average work can sell for $3,750.

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