Robert Ray (artist)
| Robert D. Ray - Artist | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 24, 1924 Denver, Colorado |
| Died | March 29, 2002 (aged 77) Taos, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Known for | Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture |
| Style | Abstract |
| Movement | Modernism |
Robert Ray (October 24, 1924 – March 29, 2002) was an American artist, active in the middle to late twentieth century.
Robert Donald Ray was born in Denver, Colorado in 1924; one of two sons raised by Irene and Carl J. Ray, Sr. Ray graduated from Denver East High School and enrolled at Drake University. His studies were interrupted by World War II, during which he enlisted in the Navy, serving in South Pacific and Japan. After the war, he completed his studies in visual art at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1950. He then received a MFA degree from the Centro de Estudios Universitarios in 1952.. Following graduation, and travel to Europe, Ray moved to Taos in 1954.
Over the course of his career, Ray worked in a wide variety of media. In 1968, Ray’s work was described by Robert A. Ewing, former curator of Fine Arts Museum of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the following words: “There is in his work the magic of a court jeweler working with materials of our time. Whether it be the masterfully controlled intricacy of drawing or the compelling power of sculpture in which one discovers surprises from the natural world in combination with elements as unexpected as shattered glass, there is a delight and timelessness in the Southwestern Odyssey of Robert Ray.”
As stated by Phaedra Greenwood in a review of a retrospective show near the conclusion of Ray’s life: “Rarely has a one-person show displayed such a range in wood, metal, glass and oil on linen, timeless abstracts polished to a gem like finish. He’s a minimalist of the highest order; nothing is wasted or overdone. Each piece is a classic statement of elegance, tension and pure essence.”
Ray’s early work consisted of graphite, ink, wood-cut prints and oil, and ranged from portraits to abstract prints to still-life and semi-representational landscapes. Shortly after arriving to Taos in 1954, Eulalia Emetaz invited Ray to show in her Galeria Escondida (The Hidden Gallery) in Taos, which led to a two-year residency grant from the Wurlitzer Foundation, 1954-1956.” During this time, Ray painted numerous portraits including The Honorable Dorothy Brett which helped Ray to establish a local following. “[A]fter I did Dorothy Brett’s portrait, others wanted one, I’m sorry that Frieda Lawrence died just before I was going to paint her. And Georgia (O’Keefe) couldn’t sit still long enough; she was better suited to photography”.
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