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Rick Borg

Garde Rail Gallery opens their new space with a show of new work by Columbus, OH artist Rick Borg. A one-time professional golfer the 42 year old creates works with scrap wood as his canvas, painting dense and layered fantastic scenes of alligators, big cats, people and houses.

OPENING: Thursday August 5, 2004, 6pm-9pm
OPEN DAILY: Wednesday through Saturday, 11am-5pm
CLOSING: Saturday September 25, 2004
WHERE: Garde Rail Gallery - 110 Third Avenue South -Tel.206.621.1055

Rick Borg paints on found wood, his paintings comprised of many thick layers of house paint, oil, and enamel. Most of his paintings are two-sided ("Some folks like what's on the other side better") and his subjects range from men riding alligators, to bears and fantastic scenes of machines and animals. He frames his pieces out with broom and mop handles, wiring his creations together and he will often incorporate found objects into his paintings.

Rick was born in and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and has been called a "42 year old child prodigy". He began to draw and paint as a kid and into high school until he found another passion; golf. He went to Ohio State to pursue his interest in golf, where he had to choose a major, art being the obvious course. Completing four years of school, Rick went on to join the PGA Tour. After "not doing too well", he returned to Columbus, where he enrolled in the Masters program "because they gave me a place to paint and I really didn't have anything else to do".

For the last fifteen years, Rick has been living off of an assortment of odd jobs and his paintings. His work has maintained a fearless and fantastical nature throughout. Rick admits, "My education seems to be my biggest drawback. The folk art dealers have a hard time with me and the fine art people don't want to know. I just paint and let everybody else sort it out."

Rick Borg