The work of Rob Pruitt (b. 1964, Washington, D.C.) is rooted in a pop sensibility and a playful critique of art world structures. His conceptual projects have encompassed sensational staged events such as his infamous Cocaine Buffet (1998), as well as simple gestures that promote possibilities for creativity in everyday life, as demonstrated in the series 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself (1999, 2001). From his glittering paintings of panda bears and sculptural formations of blue jeans to his operative flea markets, Pruitt’s work is always characterized by an incisive humor and exuberant visual flair. In 2009, in association with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and White Columns, Rob Pruitt conceived and presented his performance-based artwork The First Annual Art Awards, which follows the format of a Hollywood awards ceremony. Designed by Pruitt with a flourish of showbiz glamour, the Art Awards harnesses the energy and accomplishments of the international arts community.

Institutions that have organized solo presentations of his work include the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati (2001), and the American Academy in Rome (2008). He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions internationally, including Greater New York, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City (2000); Post-POP, Post-PUNK, Museum of Contemporary Art, Washington, D.C. (2000); Protest and Survive, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (2000); Vantage Point, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2001); The Americans New Art, Barbican Gallery, London (2001); Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum (2002); Trade, White Columns, New York (2005); Seeing Double, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2005); General Ideas: Rethinking Conceptual Art 1987–2005, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francsico (2005); The Inside Game, Portland Art Center (2006); The Station, Art Basel Miami (2008); Mapping the Studio, Palazzo Grassi (2009); andPop Life: Art in a Material World, Tate Modern, London (2009).

In March 2010, Abrams published Pruitt’s first comprehensive monograph, Pop Touched Me: The Art of Rob Pruitt, which surveys almost 25 years of the artist's work. Pruitt lives and works in New York.

Installation view: Rob Pruitt, iPhotos, Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York, 2008. Photo: Courtesy the artist/Gavin Brown's enterprise