George Rickey Foundation

to George Rickey, born on this day in 1907! Enjoy this clip of Rickey ruminating on the nature of memory as he got older—from the film “George Rickey: Portrait of an Artist” directed by Seth Schneidman in 1987.
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“People hear a lot from me about the failure of memory. And I joke a little about it and say there’s nothing the matter with my memory, it is retrieval that is the problem. But I have the feeling that my ability to compare and analyze is sharpened. Memory is like taking a trip back to some place that I know.”
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George Warren Rickey was born in South Bend, Indiana on June 6, 1907. Rickey’s father was a mechanical engineer and his grandfather was a clockmaker, and they both encouraged his childhood interest in engineering and design. Rickey studied painting and drawing at school, both in the United States and in Europe; then he learned about mechanics and the effects of wind and gravity during his time in the Army Air Corps. Using these skills, he became an art teacher and an increasingly well-known artist, working mainly in the United States and exhibiting all over the world.
Many of his artworks were designed to be seen outside: large geometric forms, made of shiny stainless steel that reflect their changing surroundings, and naturally powered by breezes. His innovative sculptures are a unique combination of dynamic art and engineering precision.
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Clip of “George Rickey: Portrait of an Artist,” 1987. Directed by Seth Schneidman. Seven Hills Production.

“In their new neighborhood [in Rome], George explored the Porta Portese flea market and picked up a cache of old watch parts. Attaching their small, circular shapes to a wheel spinning around a straight stem on a gimbal, he created ‘Trastevere Flower.’ In these found objects, he stumbled on a new form—the rotor, or wheel— which could easily have been inspired by the example of David Smith, not only in his tendency to incorporate the found object, but also, specifically, the introduction of wheels. With ‘Trastevere Flower’ as a start, Rickey would soon put the rotor to use in a variety of larger sculptures.”
–Belinda Rathbone, “George Rickey: A Life in Balance”
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See “Trastevere Flower” and many other works in MARUANI MERCIER Gallery’s exhibition “George Rickey: Ordered Movement,” on view in Brussels through June 6, 2026. Learn more at https://maruanimercier.com/exhibitions/166-ordered-movement-george-rickey/.
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George Rickey, “Trastevere Flower,” 1957. Stainless steel and brass polychrome, metal watch parts. George Rickey Foundation. Video by MARUANI MERCIER.

Consider this an invitation to pause, relax your shoulders, breathe deeply, and admire a work of art.
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George Rickey, “Four Lines Oblique Gyratory Square,” 1973 (1976). Stainless steel. Edition of 3. Currently on view at the South Coast Botanic Garden as a long-term loan from LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art).

A gentle, agile giant for .
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George Rickey, “Two Up Two Down,” 1967–68. Stainless steel. California State University, Northridge