Ronnie Cutrone

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Ronnie Cutrone (July 10, 1948 – July 20, 2013) was an American artist and nightclub impresario. He began his career as pop artist Andy Warhol's assistant before becoming known for his own paintings of cartoon characters. Cutrone helped run the New York nightclub Mudd Club and later operated his own nightclub the Rubber Monkey.

Life and career[edit]

Ronald "Ronnie" Cutrone was born in New York City on July 10, 1948. He attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.[1]

As a teenager, Cutrone hung around pop artist Andy Warhol's Factory. He became a go-go dancer and among his first gigs was at the Dom club on St. Marks Place in Manhattan's East Village.[2] He also performed with the Velvet Underground.[1]

Cutrone was Warhol's studio assistant at the Factory from 1972 until 1982.[3] He said Warhol was "a second father to me."[4]

He worked with Warhol on paintings, prints, films, and other concepts, co-opting Warhol's earliest work (pre-1960) as well as works by Roy Lichtenstein and others, until finally distilling those myriad influences into the style a few critics eventually labeled "Post-Pop."[5] Cutrone's paintings are colorful and lively depictions of American cartoon characters such as Felix the Cat, Pink Panther, Woody Woodpecker and No Glove No Love.[3][6][7]

He exhibited at the Niveau Gallery in 1979 with a Scottish artist called Mike Gall who showed paintings of Snoopy, Mickey and Minnie mouse, the Pink Panther and also a small series of Peter Rabbit paintings. Victor Hugo was the other artist who was featured in this three man group show which was called "Three New New York Artists."[citation needed]

Cutrone's works have been exhibited at: Whitney Museum (New York), Museum of Modern Art (New York), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and fine art galleries internationally.[8]

1979, he built a human size steel cage that was positioned in the middle of the Mudd Club in TriBeCa.[9] He also helped the club's co-founder Steve Maas book talent at the club.[10] He later built Club 82, where the New York Dolls and Blondie performed.[11] In 2000, Cutrone opened the Rubber Monkey, a nightclub in TriBeCa.[11][12]

Cuttone dated writer Tama Janowitz and reportedly the character Stash in her novel-in-stories Slaves of New York (1986) is based on him.[2]

Cutrone was married four times. His first two marriages to makeup artist Gigi Williams ended in divorce.[13] In 1986, he married Kelly Cutrone, but they later divorced.[1] His third wife was an Israeli woman, Einat Katav, and that marriage also ended in divorce.[1]

Cutrone died at his home in Lake Peekskill, New York on July 20, 2013.[1] In December 2013, Hiram Noel Mendez of Cortlandt was charged with second-degree burglary and other offenses for stealing artwork from Cutrone's home.[14][15] Reportedly, during a visit to Cutrone's home, Mendez found him unresponsive and took some of his artwork before notifying authorities hours later.[14] Cutrone's associates noticed some artworks missing and notified the police.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Fox, Margalit (2013-07-26). "Ronnie Cutrone, a Warhol Assistant, Dies at 65". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  2. ^ a b Trebay, Guy (2013-08-02). "Ronnie Cutrone, a Man of Another, Cooler City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  3. ^ a b Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy (22 July 2013). "Ronnie Cutrone, RIP". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  4. ^ Michelini, Alex (1987-02-26). "Andy framed it legal". Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  5. ^ Haden-Guest, Anthony (2018-11-14). "Sphinx and Superstar: What It Was Like to Know the Real Andy Warhol". Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  6. ^ "Ronnie Cutrone Art - 26 for Sale at 1stDibs".
  7. ^ "Ronnie Cutrone - 86 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy".
  8. ^ "Tataboo", Exhibition Catalogue Lorenzelli Arte Milano, 2003
  9. ^ "A Historical Look at The Mudd Club". CR Fashion Book. 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  10. ^ Keaton, Gary (June 21, 1979). "Here's Mudd in Your Sleaze". The Washington Post.
  11. ^ a b Hass, Nancy (2000-12-17). "A NIGHT OUT WITH: Ronnie Cutrone; Another New Thing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  12. ^ "In the News: Condo vs. Dog Owner". Tribeca Citizen. July 27, 2013. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  13. ^ "Kelly Cutrone Biography | Booking Info for Speaking Engagements".
  14. ^ a b c Corcoran, Terence (December 12, 2013). "Case continued in theft from Warhol assistant". The Journal News. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  15. ^ "New York Man Stole Works From Warhol's Assistant After He Died: Police". NBC New York. 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
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