Robert Ray (October 24, 1924 – March 29, 2002) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

artist, active in the middle to late twentieth century.

Early life, travel and education

Robert Donald Ray was born in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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 Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, education, Legal education, law, and pharmacy. Drake U ...

. His studies were interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

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 The former Centro de Estudios Universitarios (CEU), currently called Fundación Universitaria San Pablo CEU, is a foundation for the development of education founded by the Catholic Propagandistic Association (ACdP). Out of the many academic insti ...

in 1952. Following graduation, and travel to Europe, Ray moved to Taos in 1954.

Work

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 Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

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. " ter 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". Writing in ''Prize Winning Oil Paintings and Why they Won the Prize'', author Margaret Harold quotes David Gebhard, director of the Roswell Museum and Art Center:

Ray represents an interesting case in current American painting, in that he generally retains reference to subject matter, although he is by no means a representational painter... s major asset is in his tactile quality, and the subtle aspect of his color. These two aspects are combined to produce a really 'Classic' quality in all of his painting which I have experienced.

Ray earned his first award in "The Midwest Third Biennial Exhibition" held at the Joslyn Art Museum, 1954. This showing was followed by awards in Brooklyn, New York; Dallas, Texas; Columbia, South Carolina; and the Museum of New Mexico. In 1959, Ray was selected in "Painting - New Talent in the U.S.A." by the magazine ''Art in America''. Ray also maintains the distinction of being the only artist to exhibit in each of the "Taos Moderns" annual exhibitions held. In 1961, Ray was described locally as "one of the outstanding young artists in America today," and in 1964, Ray exhibited artwork in the Southwestern America presentation at the World's Fair in New York. Ray won further recognition in 1969 for sculpture (Wood & Glass), and 1972 in graphics. In 1961, Ray stated his view on art sales:

the best method o determine art pricingis through auction, except for a living artist's works; the contemporaries must sell through supply and demand.

Having established a strong reputation in the 1950s and 1960s, Ray shifted focus to his role as an artisan and citizen of Taos, serving on "just about every art related board in Taos that ever existed." As summarized by Robert Ellis, Harwood Museum Director, in a 2000 retrospective:

Robert Ray, since arriving in Taos in 1954, has played a vital role both as an artist and as a resident. Over the years the Taos community and the Harwood have benefitted from Bob's many years of service on the non-profit boards that include the Little Theater Board (he also designed stage sets), The Taos Art Association, Taos Public Library, and the Taos School of Music (currently).

Following retrospective shows in 1999 and 2000, Ray resumed a prolific pace of painting, creating numerous series of representational and abstract watercolors prior to his death in 2002.

Exhibitions

; Noteworthy Exhibit: Ray's work was included in an exhibition along with Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, many of the Taos Moderns and other notable Taos artists in a show produced in part, by Dennis Hopper. The show was titled "Taos collects the Modern since 1900". ; Art and Atom - Traveling Exhibition: Eight of the Taos Moderns created works selected by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) for use in a traveling exhibition that accompanied a graduate recruiting campaign in the early 1960s. The approach was unique: "LASL is a pioneer in the use of contemporary art in recruiting ads and is perhaps the first to use finished line art for that purpose." The art from the show was used in the LASL recruiting booth at the National Science Convention, included in the LASL publication "A-R-T Spells Science" and selected on basis that the art "fit an idea LASL wanted to express." ; Career Exhibitions: *

Denver Art Museum The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is an art museum located in the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado. With an encyclopedic collection of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world, the DAM is one of the largest art museums betwe ...

(Included in 16 exhibitions 1953–2002) *

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is an arts center located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Located on the same city block are the American Numismatic Association and part of the campus of Colorado ...

(Included in 11 exhibitions 1955–2002, One-man show: 1968) *

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

, Washington, DC: 13th National Exhibition of Prints, 1955 *

New Mexico Museum of Art The New Mexico Museum of Art is an art museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe governed by the state of New Mexico, United States. It is one of four state-run museums in Santa Fe that are part of the Museum of New Mexico. It is located one bloc ...

, Santa Fe, New Mexico: Included in 27 exhibitions 1956–2002. One-man shows: 1959, 1967 *

Roswell Museum and Art Center The Roswell Museum (formerly Roswell Museum and Art Center) was founded in 1936 and is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. The museum features exhibits about the art and history of the American Southwest The Southwestern United S ...

, New Mexico 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964 * The American Federation of Arts, New York City: New Talent, U.S.A. 1956 * Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri, Mid-America Annuals: 1957, 1958, 1959 *

University of Illinois, Urbana The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the fou ...

, Contemporary American Paintings and Sculpture: 1957, 1959 * Chrysler Art Museum, Provincetown, Massachusetts: 1st Provincetown Arts Festival, 1958 * San Diego Museum of Fine Arts, California. Taos Now, 1960 *

Palace of the Legion of Honor The Legion of Honor, formally known as the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, is an art museum located in San Francisco, on the West Side of the city. Located in Lincoln Park, the Legion of Honor is a component of the Fine Arts Museums o ...

, San Francisco, California: Art and the Atom, 1965

Collections

Private collections

Ray's work was part of a notable collection of artwork held by Edwin Bewley of Taos. The collection included works by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

John French Sloan John French Sloan (August 2, 1871 – September 7, 1951) was an American painter and etcher. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Ashcan school of American art. He was also a member of the group known as The Eight. He is best know ...

Childe Hassam Frederick Childe Hassam (; October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. Along with Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman, Hassam was instrumental in promulgating Impressionis ...

Käthe Kollwitz Käthe Kollwitz ( born Schmidt; 8 July 186722 April 1945) was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including ''The Weavers'' and ''The Peasa ...

, select works from the Taos Moderns and the

Taos Society of Artists The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico. Established in 1915, it was disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation ...

. The

Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico is an artist residency program in the artists' colony of Taos, New Mexico. The Foundation, which offers prize fellowships to painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, composers, photographers an ...

collection of artwork in her home consisted of works by

Andrew Dasburg Andrew Michael Dasburg (4 May 1887 – 13 August 1979) was an American modernist painter and "one of America's leading early exponents of cubism". Biography Dasburg was born in 1887 in Paris. He emigrated from Germany to New York City with ...

Emil Bisttram Emil Bisttram (1895–1976) was an American artist who lived in New York and Taos, New Mexico, who is known for his modernist work. Life and works Emil Bisttram was born in Nagylak, Hungary in 1895 (today Nădlac, Romania). When he was 11 years ...

, Robert D. Ray, Tom Benrimo, Clay Spohn, Earl Stroh, Ernest Blumenshein, O.E. Berninghaus and

Leon Gaspard Leon Schulman Gaspard (1 or 2 October 1883 ther sources provide 2 March 1882- 21 February 1964) was a Russian-born painter, known for his paintings of indigenous cultures and folk traditions. He tended to paint scenes with throngs of people, an ...

Other collections include: * First National Bank of Dallas – Now part of

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* First National Bank of Arizona

Public collections

, Colorado * Sheldon Museum, University of Nebraska, Lincoln *

Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...

, Logan, UT *

Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of modern art, ...

, Maryland *

Joslyn Art Museum The Joslyn Art Museum, commonly referred to as the Joslyn, is a fine arts museum in Omaha, Nebraska, the largest in the state. It opened in 1931 at the initiative of Sarah H. Joslyn, in memory of her husband, businessman George A. Joslyn. Sinc ...

, Omaha, Nebraska *

, New Mexico *

Columbia Museum of Art The Columbia Museum of Art is an art museum in the American city of Columbia, South Carolina. History The Columbia Museum of Art was originally in the 1908 private residence of the city's Taylor family. Located on Senate Street in Columbia, ad ...

, South Carolina *

, Santa Fe, New Mexico * The Old Jail Foundation and Art Center, Albany, Texas *

, Colorado * Ball State Teachers College, Muncie, Indiana *

Brooklyn Museum of Art The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

, New York * Harwood Museum - University of New Mexico

Art market

From 1954 to 1958, Ray was affiliated with La Galeria Escondida (Taos, NM). Between 1958 and 1964, Ray was affiliated locally and nationally with the Charles Feingarten Gallery (Chicago, IL), the Esther Robles Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), Bolles Gallery (San Francisco, CA), Fifth Avenue Gallery (Ft. Worth, TX), The Bon Marche National Gallery (Seattle, WA). From 1964 until 2002, Ray affiliated nearly exclusively with local galleries; Mission Gallery (1964-1992), Bareiss Gallery (1999), New Directions Gallery (2000-2002). Ray also enjoyed long associations with Taos Artist Association sponsored Stables Gallery (1959-1989), Leone Kahl and The Harwood Foundation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Robert 1924 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American painters 20th-century American male artists 20th-century American printmakers 21st-century American painters 21st-century American male artists American abstract artists American male painters Minimalist artists People from Taos, New Mexico University of Southern California alumni