Red Grooms Art
American, b. 1937
Charles Roger Grooms was born in 1937 in Nashville, Tennessee, a city that, with its lively honky-tonk scene and the theatricality of the historic Grand Ole Opry, would later influence much of his work. Nicknamed for his ginger hair, Red enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1955. A self-proclaimed “restless and undisciplined student,” Grooms spent the next few years moving between schools and cities, including the New School in New York, Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University) in Nashville, and Hans Hofmann’s summer school in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Frustrated with the academic track and anxious to enter the New York art scene, Grooms abandoned formal education to focus exclusively on creating art and securing exhibition opportunities in his Chelsea neighborhood. There, he found quick success and a supportive circle of artists that became close friends and collaborators.
From the start of his career, Grooms has worked in multiple media, from painting, printmaking, and sculpture, to installation art, filmmaking, and theatrical experiences known as “Happenings.” Much of his art blurs the boundaries between these different forms, such as his large-scale, carefully-crafted environments he calls “sculpto-pictoramas,” and smaller objects like Dalí Salad. In this example, Grooms combines silkscreened and lithographic elements with a wooden base and acrylic dome to create a three-dimensional portrait of the famous Surrealist artist.
Grooms is perhaps best known for his colorful and comedic commentary on the culture, politics, and figures associated with the American urban environment and art historical traditions. Relying on satire and caricature, Grooms’ art has paid homage to a wide range of artists including Rembrandt, Auguste Rodin, Thomas Eakins, and Benjamin West, as well as national icons like Thomas Jefferson and Chuck Berry. Grooms’ disparate output is so difficult to classify that he has been compared to the influential Dada artist, Marcel Duchamp. Like Duchamp, Grooms often deliberately confronts the art world establishment, noting in 1974 that “it’s good to have . . . something to go against.”
Despite his affinity for defying the mainstream, Grooms is routinely cited by scholars as one of the leading American artists of his generation and was honored with the National Academy of Design’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. The subject of a 1984 mid-career retrospective exhibition held at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the artist’s work can be found in public collections across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as well as in many international museums.
- The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina(Biography provided by Helicline Fine Art)
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Artist: Red Grooms
Dealer: Marlborough New York
Alma Thomas III
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Alma Thomas III, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IV
26 3/4 x 20 in. (68 x 50.8 cm)
Coinciding with the current presentation of recent paintin...
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Masters at the Met
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Masters at the Met, 2002
color lithograph, edition of 75
29 3/4 x 35 in. / 75.6 x 88.9 cm
Red Grooms was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937 and has lived in New York fo...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Taxi to the Terminal
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Taxi to the Terminal, 1993
color lithograph, ed. of 18 AP
22 x 30 in. / 55.9 x 76.2 cm
Category
1990s Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Joan Mitchell (Portrait) II
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Joan Mitchell (Portrait) II, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IV
22 3/4 x 18 3/8 in. (57.8 x 46.7 cm)
“The Sparkling Amazons,” the term coined by Thomas Hess to described five women who revolutionized the modern art world in postwar America, was a group comprised of Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler. The Irascibles, or Irascible 18, were the labels given to a group of American abstract painters who in 1950, penned an open letter to the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to express their intense disapproval and commitment to boycott the museum’s exhibition American Painting Today: 1950. The subsequent media coverage and iconic photo of the group published in Life Magazine in 1951 gave the Irascibles notoriety and helped to canonize the term ‘Abstract Expressionism.’
By reconstructing the image with the inclusion of all the notable Abstract Expressionist artists of the period, Red Grooms attempts to recognize the often-overlooked contribution by women artists to the AbEx movement and the significant role they played as bold innovators within the New York School during the 1940s and 1950s. Grooms became an active participant in 1957, joining the cooperative Phoenix Gallery on East 10th Street, the then heart of the art world. He would later start City Gallery with Jay Milder in his own loft on West 24th Street. “We were reacting to Tenth Street. In ’58 and ’59, Tenth Street was sort of like SoHo is now, and it was getting all the lively attention of everyone downtown. We were just kids in our twenties and had a flair for attracting people to our openings.”
The series of monotypes were printed at Derriere L’Etoile Studios, a fine art printmaking studio which was founded by Maurice Sanchez in 1978. Sanchez notes, “Red Grooms in a print studio is like a three-year-old child in a toy store...
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Lee Krasner (Glasses) V
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Lee Krasner (Glasses) IV, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of V
18 1/4 x 22 7/8 in. (46.4 x 58.1 cm)
Coinciding with the current presentation of recent paintings by Red Gro...
Category
2010s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Grace Hartigan (Color) VII
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Grace Hartigan (Color) VII, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IX
23 1/4 x 18 3/4 in. (59.1 x 47.6 cm)
framed: 26 1/2 x 21 7/8 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Cedar Bar (Rivers, Rothko, etc) V
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Cedar Bar (Rivers, Rothko, etc) V, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VII
22 1/2 x 19 in. (57.1 x 48.3 cm)
Category
2010s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Perle Fine V
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Perle Fine V, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VI
21 x 26 1/2 in. (53.3 x 67.3 cm)
framed: 24 1/8 x 29 5/8 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Helen Frankenthaler (Portrait) IV
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler (Portrait) IV, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IV
22 3/4 x 18 1/2 in. (57.8 x 46.4 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Joan On the Bed IV
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Joan On the Bed IV, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of V
18 3/4 x 22 3/8 in. (47.6 x 56.8 cm)
framed: 22 x 25 3/8 in.
Coinciding with the current presentation of recent p...
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Cedar Bar VI
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Cedar Bar VI, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VI
19 x 22 1/2 in. (48.3 x 57.1 cm)
framed: 24 1/8 x 29 1/2 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Joan, Helen, Grace III
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Joan, Helen, Grace III, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of V
18 7/8 x 22 1/4 in. (47.9 x 56.5 cm)
framed: 22 x 25 3/8 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Frankenthaler (Graphite) IV
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Frankenthaler (Graphite) IV, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VI
18 1/4 x 22 3/4 in. (46.4 x 57.8 cm)
Category
2010s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
The Cedar Bar
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
The Cedar Bar, 1987
offset lithograph in 4 colors on film and Mylar on Arches Cover paper, ed. of 200
24 1/2 x 32 in. (62.2 x 81.2 cm)
Category
1980s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Frankenthaler and Hartigan (Laughing) II
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Frankenthaler and Hartigan (Laughing) II, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IV
22 3/4 x 18 1/4 in. (57.8 x 46.4 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Betty Parsons Portrait III
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Betty Parsons Portrait III, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of V
26 1/6 x 20 in. (66.5 x 50.8 cm)
framed: 29 1/8 x 23 1/4 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Ruth and Pollock Sitting on Stairs III
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Ruth and Pollock Sitting on Stairs III, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VI
21 x 26 1/2 in. (53.3 x 67.3 cm)
framed: 24 x 29 5/8 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
De Kooning, Kligman 10th St. VI
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
De Kooning, Kligman VI, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of VI
21 x 26 1/2 in. (53.3 x 67.3 cm)
framed: 24 1/8 x 29 5/8 in.
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Elaine (Plaid) II
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Elaine (Plaid) II, 2020
monotype, unique print from a series of IV
22 13/16 x 18 1/2 in. (57.9 x 47 cm)
framed: 25 7/8 x 21 1/2 in.
Coinciding with the current presentation of rece...
Category
2010s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monotype
Rockefeller Center
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Rockefeller Center, 1995
lithograph, edition of 75
41 3/8 x 27 1/2 in. (105.1 x 69.9 cm)
Category
1990s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Aubrey Beardsley
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Aubrey Beardsley, 2008
black and white etching with spitbite aquatint on Somerset textured white, ed. of 20
22 x 18 1/2 in. (55.9 x 47 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Pierpont Morgan Library
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
color lithograph
edition of 300
Category
1980s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1995
etching and aquatint in 4 colors on Somerset textured paper, ed. of 10 AP
20 3/4 x 26 in. (52.7 x 66 cm)
Category
1990s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Goya's Demons
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Goya's Demons, 2009
black and white etching with spitbite aquatint, ed. of 20
18 x 15 1/2 in. (45.7 x 38.7 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Saskia
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Saskia, 2009
black and white etching with spitbite aquatint and burnishing on Somerset textured white, ed. of 20
18 x 15 1-4 in. (45.7 x 38.7 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Etching
Coney Island
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Coney Island, 1978
aquatint in 4 colors, edition of 34
22 x 25 3/4 in. (55.9 x 65.4 cm)
Category
1970s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint
Heavy Metal
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Heavy Metal, 2009
black and white etching with aquatint, spitbite aquatint, and scraping, ed. of 20
17 1/2 x 19 in. (44.5 x 48.3 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Matisse
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Matisse, 1976
lithograph, edition of 75
34 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. (87.6 x 64.8 cm)
Category
1970s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Les Deux Magots
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Les Deux Magots, 1985
etching and aquatint, ed. of 90
26 1/4 x 31 3/8 in. (66.7 x 79.9 cm)
Category
1980s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
New York Sweet: Graveyard Ruckus
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
New York Sweet: Graveyard Ruckus, 1995
drypoint, etching, sugarlift, and aquatint on Somerset textured paper, ed. of 30
17 1/2 x 20 1/2 in. (44.5 x 52.1 cm)
Category
1990s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Etching, Drypoint, Aquatint
Village Newsstand
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Village Newsstand, 1999
monoprint, edition of 5
31 x 23 in. (78.7 x 58.4 cm)
Category
1990s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Monoprint
On your mark, get set, go!
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
On your mark, get set, go!, 2002
Color lithograph, edition of 75
35 x 26 3/8 in. / 88.9 x 67 cm
Category
Early 2000s Modern Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Napo and Josephine
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Napo and Josephine, 2008
black and white etching with spitbite aquatint on Somerset textured white, ed. of 20
18 x 15 in. (45.7 x 38.1 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Brooklyn Bridge Bustle
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Brooklyn Bridge Bustle, 2002
color lithograph, edition of 75
26 1/2 x 33 3/4 in. (67.3 x 85.7 cm)
Category
Early 2000s Modern Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
Cafe Tabou
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
Cafe Tabou, 1985
etching and aquatint, edition 22 of 50
14 x 15 5/8 in. (35.6 x 39.7 cm)
Category
1980s Modern Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint, Etching
Looking Up Broadway, Again
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Lithograph in 6 colors on Rives BFK paper
edition of 75
Category
1990s Red Grooms Art
Materials
Lithograph
2 a.m., Paris, 1943
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Red Grooms
2 a.m., Paris, 1943, 1985
Aquatint in 11 colors on Hahnemuhle paper, edition 21 of 50
14 3/8 x 16 in. (36.5 x 40.6 cm)
Category
1980s Pop Art Red Grooms Art
Materials
Aquatint
Mr. Universe
By Red Grooms
Located in New York, NY
Mr. Universe, 1990
painted bronze, ed. 5 of 9
31 1/4 x 14 3/4 x 14 3/4 in.
79.38 x 37.47 x 37.47 cm
Category
Early 1900s Red Grooms Art
Materials
Bronze
Red Grooms art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Red Grooms art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, pink, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Red Grooms in lithograph, etching, monotype and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Red Grooms art, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ed Ruscha, James Rosenquist, and Jim Dine. Red Grooms art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $200 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $2,800.
Artists Similar to Red Grooms
Questions About Red Grooms Art
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Red Grooms, an American painter and sculptor, is best known for his life-size Pop art, which are known as “sculpto-pictoramas.” Ruckus Manhattan is the most famous of these, created by Grooms in 1975 with help from his assistants. It includes a model of the World Trade Center that’s 30 feet tall, a swaying Brooklyn Bridge, and a 15-foot-tall Statue of Liberty. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Red Grooms artwork from top sellers worldwide.