First, seed some counter-politics - gradually open up to some colleagues with "hey is it me or does Rick always seem like kind of a jerk?" Chances are someone else doesn't like him so you can corral a group of sympathetics. (If you're the only one he does this too that's another thing, you can't expect sympathy from coworkers for something they don't also experience.)
Second, cultivate political favor with the boss-man directly. Make sure the boss knows wtf you are working on, why it's valuable, and what your distinctive talents are. If this dude is fucking with you in the open he's probably trashing you behind your back; always get ahead of his frame so the boss is like "Agastya is kicking ass, what is this guy up his jock about?" Once the boss has your trust you can counter-politic him directly, "I'm not sure what Rick is trying to accomplish, but he's been a distraction for me lately."
If the boss isn't receptive to your value, you aren't appreciated, and you should starting looking for a new job. Without a supportive boss you're vulnerable to negative politics, and thus it's only a matter of time before someone or something becomes a pretext to push you out.
Second, cultivate political favor with the boss-man directly. Make sure the boss knows wtf you are working on, why it's valuable, and what your distinctive talents are. If this dude is fucking with you in the open he's probably trashing you behind your back; always get ahead of his frame so the boss is like "Agastya is kicking ass, what is this guy up his jock about?" Once the boss has your trust you can counter-politic him directly, "I'm not sure what Rick is trying to accomplish, but he's been a distraction for me lately."
If the boss isn't receptive to your value, you aren't appreciated, and you should starting looking for a new job. Without a supportive boss you're vulnerable to negative politics, and thus it's only a matter of time before someone or something becomes a pretext to push you out.