LOS ANGELES, CA.- Based in Joshua Tree CA, Ry Rocklen is known for his work with found objects, recognizing their aesthetic value and historical significance. Often through the use of ceramic Rocklen substantiates the overlooked artistry of everyday life, granting his subjects second lives as enduring sculptural objects. Whether casting his entire wardrobe in porcelain, turning a pillow into a 3D mosaic, recreating a flat tire in bronze, or creating a modernist living room set out of trophy parts, Rocklen’s practice reveals the capacity for poetry, sincerity, and fantasy embedded within the ordinary.

“I am devoted to the objects that I work with, as these are the objects practically woven into our DNA. I want to celebrate how special these things are and have people see them anew through my work.”— Ry Rocklen

After relocating to Joshua Tree in 2020, Rocklen took over the retired Quality Coins storefront in Yucca Valley’s weathered Seven Wonders Plaza. Inspired by the history of the business, the legacy of the previous owner, and the surrounding desert community, Quality Coins now serves as a community arts space, venue, and showroom for exhibitions, special projects, and collaborations.

Ry Rocklen will have his first solo show at Wilding Cran Gallery in March 2024.

Ry Rocklen (b. 1978) studied at CalArts, Santa Clarita, CA,1996 - 1998, received his BFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, CA (2001) and his MFA from the University of Southern California, CA (2006). Rocklen's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions of Rocklen's work have been presented at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (2014); and the Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX(2010). Rocklen has also been included in several major survey exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, NY (2008); Made in LA, Hammer Museum (2012); Murmurs: Recent Contemporary Acquisitions, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (2013); Sculpture from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA (2016); CURRENT:LA FOOD, Public Art Triennial, Los Angeles, CA (2019); That Was Then…This Was Now, MoMA PS1, Long Island City, NY (2008); Red Eye, The Rubell Collection, Miami, FL (2006); and the Athens Biennale 2009 HEAVEN, Athens, Greece (2009). His work is also part of major museum collections including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA, and the Rubell Collection, Miami, FL.