Decorating Guides
Rex Ray's Joyous Collages Come to the Home
San Francisco artist Rex Ray talks about his work in the music world, his new home products and his belief that art is for everyone
Rex Ray's work is everywhere now. Even if you're not familiar with his name yet, odds are that you've seen his art on posters, album covers, textiles and accessories. Ray's look is unmistakable — and it's hard not to fall in love with his colorful and psychedelic-like work. The bright tones and playful nature of his pieces have a unique and imaginative undertone that Ray has been bringing to his artwork since he was very young. "I knew I wanted to be an artist when I was 11," Ray says. "I think a lot of kids have that impulse. It's just a matter of if you can sustain it into adulthood."
Affordable versions of his artwork have always been important to him, and in 2011 he launched Rex Ray Studio and R2 Lab to produce stationery, home décor products and more.
The art pieces in this story are gallery samples of Ray's work.
Affordable versions of his artwork have always been important to him, and in 2011 he launched Rex Ray Studio and R2 Lab to produce stationery, home décor products and more.
The art pieces in this story are gallery samples of Ray's work.
Music as Inspiration
After graduating, Ray started a freelance graphic design firm and worked for music, literary and art groups all over the city. Much of his first work comprised flyers for nightclubs and bands. "Odds are, if you went to any San Francisco nightclub in the '80s, you saw some of my work," he says.
Ray had always been fascinated with album covers. In high school, he made his own photo sleeves for his 45s using a camera, his own art, and a Xerox machine. "I've really carried the language of graphic arts with me," he says.
This piece: "Delcon"
After graduating, Ray started a freelance graphic design firm and worked for music, literary and art groups all over the city. Much of his first work comprised flyers for nightclubs and bands. "Odds are, if you went to any San Francisco nightclub in the '80s, you saw some of my work," he says.
Ray had always been fascinated with album covers. In high school, he made his own photo sleeves for his 45s using a camera, his own art, and a Xerox machine. "I've really carried the language of graphic arts with me," he says.
This piece: "Delcon"
As Ray racked up clients like City Lights Bookstore and Bill Graham Presents, his business grew, and his work was everywhere. "Initially, I was willing to sacrifice high pay for creative freedom," he says. "But as I became more well known, there were more restrictions on my work." As his clients became more prestigious, he found that he was working with more marketing firms, and the demands were getting more specific.
In 1997, Ray started doing package designs for David Bowie. It was exhausting — and exhilarating. "I kind of figured that was my pinnacle in the music world," he says.
This piece: "Opaliane"
In 1997, Ray started doing package designs for David Bowie. It was exhausting — and exhilarating. "I kind of figured that was my pinnacle in the music world," he says.
This piece: "Opaliane"
Creating Art Just for Himself
At that point, though, Ray started looking for a way to get out of graphic design. "I was getting so frustrated with having so many hands in my work," he says. "You mentally internalize that criticism. When you're an artist, you become your own worst enemy in that sense. I really wanted to just get back to basics and indulge in simple creativity."
This piece: "Lasallia"
At that point, though, Ray started looking for a way to get out of graphic design. "I was getting so frustrated with having so many hands in my work," he says. "You mentally internalize that criticism. When you're an artist, you become your own worst enemy in that sense. I really wanted to just get back to basics and indulge in simple creativity."
This piece: "Lasallia"
While he was still grinding away at his graphic design day job, Ray started working on collages at night. He would cut out big images with lots of white space from hoarded W and Rolling Stone magazines and paste them together. "It was really liberating to do this purely for myself," he says. "It was all about the process and not the finished piece. I'd let them dry, put them in a drawer and didn't really look at them again."
This piece: "Untitled 0797"
This piece: "Untitled 0797"
Pretty soon, he had hundreds of collages piled up. On a whim, he put them all up on a wall in his San Francisco loft, which gave him a sort of revelation. "All of a sudden I realized that other people might actually like these," Ray says. "It was like I had invented a language, and it was time to tell a story with it."
This collagelike style is one of the things Ray is best known for today. His colorful and graphic pieces are easily understood and loved by people with all sorts of styles and tastes.
This piece: "Untitled 0032"
This collagelike style is one of the things Ray is best known for today. His colorful and graphic pieces are easily understood and loved by people with all sorts of styles and tastes.
This piece: "Untitled 0032"
Bringing His Work into Home Design
While much of Ray's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationwide, he wanted to implement his belief that art is for everyone. "I didn't want to just do museum-like artwork. This was artwork for people," Ray says. "I wanted people to buy it off the wall and hang it in their home — no frame required."
This piece: "Pleopcialis"
While much of Ray's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationwide, he wanted to implement his belief that art is for everyone. "I didn't want to just do museum-like artwork. This was artwork for people," Ray says. "I wanted people to buy it off the wall and hang it in their home — no frame required."
This piece: "Pleopcialis"
When Metropolitan Home did a feature on Ray's home, designer Jonathan Adler saw the piece. After falling in love with the collages, he called Ray up to sell originals in his store. Although Ray had licensed his work out before, this was a foray into a completely different type of work. It was the launching pad for many more collaborations.
This piece: "Cirrosa"
This piece: "Cirrosa"
"What continues to appeal to me about licensing is this notion of getting my work out there, of having everyone get to see it," says Ray. "Working with different companies allows people to access my work who might not be able to afford one of my paintings."
This piece: "Dabinett"
This piece: "Dabinett"
The Future of Rex Ray Studio
Despite his deeply held conviction on the democratization of art, Ray, like many other artists today, still worries about his journey back to commercial art. "I'm still really torn about licensing," he says. "It's a big experiment for me."
Despite his deeply held conviction on the democratization of art, Ray, like many other artists today, still worries about his journey back to commercial art. "I'm still really torn about licensing," he says. "It's a big experiment for me."
Rex Ray DODOcase for iPad2
Today, Rex Ray Studio and R2 Lab continue to bring Ray's eclectic and colorful work into the home. From stationery to iPad cases, messenger bags and a new line of shopping bags with Blue Q, Ray's work has made the leap from the museum wall to the average home.
This iPad2 case from DODOCase is a great way to get Ray's work into your own hands. Bold and abstract, the case is made from black Moroccan cloth and is bound using traditional book-binding techniques.
This iPad2 case from DODOCase is a great way to get Ray's work into your own hands. Bold and abstract, the case is made from black Moroccan cloth and is bound using traditional book-binding techniques.
Blik Wall Decals: Radiant Velocity by Rex Ray
Ray's collaboration on Blik wall decals has been particularly popular. If you want to get some of Ray's work onto your walls, this is a clever and customizable option. "I love making the work," he says. "That's my joy. I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate."
Rex Ray's work has been included in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Jose Museum of Modern Art, the Crocker Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Find more home décor products at RexRay.com.
Rex Ray's work has been included in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Jose Museum of Modern Art, the Crocker Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Find more home décor products at RexRay.com.
Ray has always believed commercial artwork often display the same level of talent as museum-quality fine art. "I fell into a crazy group of Marxist, intellectual gays in Colorado in the 1970s," Ray says, laughing. "They had a very democratic approach to art, where they believed that all art forms were the same. Fine was just as good as commercial." When Ray attended the San Francisco Art Institute in the 1980s, his perspective was legitimized under instructors Angela Davis and Ray Mondini. To him, art wasn't about who was looking at it, it was about how it was making people feel.
This piece: "Untitled 3562"