Recently, I was introduced to Rex Ray's work by Helen Wells, an Englsh artist who does intuitive abstract art using inspiration from nature and objects within and around her home.
Rex Ray was an illustrator and graphic artist who built a successful art business working out of his San Francisco design studio. You may recall his vibrant images on the record album covers of David Bowie, U2, Rolling Stones, Bjork, Iggy Pop, etc.
After finding himself unfulfilled through his design business, Rex Ray began creating minimalist collages -- playing with line, color and shape in space -- after his days at work. This practice evolved over a decade and led to an exhibition of those collages called the 'Wall of Sound'. From there, he moved into the period of the brightest and most beautiful works of his collages that he is renown for and came to him in the later years of his life.
In these later works, there is balance, pleasingly bright palettes, and a complexity to them that build upon Matisse's collage efforts in a far less chaotic manner. The shapes are organic and calming, even with the bright colors. Rex Ray even painted his own patterned papers used in his collages. Would you believe that some of his works have more than 1,000 hand scissor-cut paper bits and pieces? Apparently someone has counted them!
The book has a reasonably short narrative of Rex Ray's life and career. In addition, it contains extraordinarily crisp and colorful reprints of his collage works over time. If you have an interest in his work, I highly recommend checking out the book. It is a feast for the eyes!
Such a beautiful book. It’s on my Christmas list 😁
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