Ronnie Cutrone was born in New York City in 1948. He attended the School of Visual Art in New York (1966-1970), coming into contact with the New York Avantguard art scene, which led him to work as the assistant of Andy Warhol at the Factory for almost ten years beginning in 1972.
Ronnie Cutrone belongs to the first generation of American artists whose visual education was formed in front of television, the Hollywood icons, coloring books, commercials, rock'n'roll, and other forms of mass media.
Cutrone's work in Pop art began in 1982, with some canvases that recreated cartoon characters, which represent his personal way of observing human nature and of drawing attention to the social and political implications of American society. These characters live in their habitat, they are often painted on the American flag, and they are always a testimony of Cutrone's identity and research.
Sensitive to the historical and political facts that affect the reality of his country, starting in 2001, after the tragic events of September 11th, Cutrone's artististic “path” displayed a sense of melting “like an ice cream”, and with this were born two new series of work: the Red cross, crosses of blood, and the Cell girls (so-called latent terrorist cells that are however ready to attack), which continue to be joined by the “decadent” myths of the American super hero. The last solo show in Italy of Cutrone's work was held at Lorenzelli Arte in Milano during the fall of 2003.
Cutrone's exhibitions in Italy over the past few years include: Lucio Amelio, Naples 1982; Salvatore Ala, Milano 1984 and 1987; Lorenzelli Arte 1995; Trimarchi Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bologna; and Galleria Rinaldo Rotta, Genoa 1998 and again at Lorenzelli Arte in 2010.
Exhibitions held in museum spaces include: Palazzo Bricherasio, Turin 1999; Museo di Castelnuovo in Naples, Chiostro del Bramante in Rome 1997; and Cutrone's recent participation in the large Pop Art exhibition at the Triennale of Milan during the spring of 2004.
Important shows were held in several museum of South America in 1998: Curitiba, Salvador de Bahia, Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. In 2005 he realizes a big mural painting (Coney Island), in 2006 a new exhibition at Lorenzelli Arte, in 2009 the show at the Milk Gallery (New York) and at Mar & Partners in Turin. In 2010 the third show at Lorenzelli Arte and in 2011 at Galerie Gmurzynska in St. Moritz.
His work can be found in some of the world's most important private and public collections, along with the collections of many renowned museums such as the Brooklyn Museum of Arts in New York, Whitney Museum in New York, the Museum of Modern Art of New York, the Boymans Beunigen Museum in Holland, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles.
He died in Lake Peekskill, NY on 20th July, 2013.