ricky clifton @ paul johnson trading gallery

Wow is this post late!

Sorry!

Anyway,

I love Ricky Clifton.

He has no idea who I am,

but all I know is that in the 15 years 

I have been in Manhattan,

he has been at 

EVERY 

single opening I have been to.

(Well, not every one, but definitely all the cool ones.)

I pointed him out to a famous artist friend of mine

about 10 years ago and asked him

who the hell is that?

He looked at me like I was crazy...

"That's Ricky! You don't know Ricky???"

Well,

 I didn't then,

and I still don't, really,

but I do know a legend in the making,

 and

Ricky is rocking down that path

like no one else but he could....

Ricky holding court,

or more likely telling it like it is....

I love these screens.

There were 3, 

one multi-colored like this one,

a cork one, and then my favorite,

the all white one.

Ricky hired a homeless person to collect all the

plastic bottle caps from the garbage cans in Central Park.

(or so the legend goes...)

and I can only assume that he collected all the

wine corks himself....

This is Ricky's biggest fan.

She wrote an essay on him

that is buried here:

BUT 

trust me,

it was GREAT.

She was amazing.

I wish I could remember her name.....

These photos are soooo blurry...

that is the penalty and reward for no flash.

That girl looks familiar....

Ricky, friends, and fans.

(Yes, for you fashion freaks, 

that is who you think it is to the left.)

Love this.

Yes,

I know a million people have done similar things before, 

including

this 

dude,

but trust me,

it felt fresh and authentic

in person.

That's not your mother's lamp/jar filled with corks,

but that was what I believe he was going for....

Someone is happy to be at an opening.....

There was some furry furniture too....

Not sure what is going one here,

looks like some R.C. curation,

but I like it.

This barrel chair was brilliant.

Super comfy too.

More on the recycled barrel theme.

Not sure if those are wine barrels

or whiskey barrels....

The crowd....

This all white bottle cap screen was my favorite.

Because of the blue liners,

it had pearlescent glow.

I caught this kid kicking back in a silver barrel chair.

He was amazingly cute.

Paul giving me the

"Are you gonna post this?"

eye!

Whew!

It was a long fun night!

More on

Mr. Ricky Clifton

and his gallerist Paul Johnson

here

and

here