Agata Popęda here. The Monterey Museum of Art often brings wonderful art from outside of the county to Monterey. But the exhibit I described in this week’s cover story in the Weekly, Rex Ray: We Are All Made of Light, is really a special treat. The little miracle of having it here, in Monterey, comes courtesy of independent curator, writer and Monterey resident Cydney Payton, who was the artist’s friend.
Rex Ray (1956-2015) was a San Francisco artist (Germany-born, Colorado-raised), a successful graphic designer who, in his artistic practice, developed his own take on paintings. At the core of it was paper and cutting paper, which Ray would glue on top of other pieces of paper, layer after layer, exploring his own unique forms and exploring the possibilities of colors in his unique, landscape-like compositions.
In addition to Ray’s abstract work, the exhibit includes works he did for other artists—musicians, music groups and music companies. Ray co-designed an album cover for David Bowie; he designed several posters for iconic concerts, such as those for Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and Radiohead.
There’s more. Sign up for an artist workshop at the museum, How to Make a Rex Ray with Scout Luketich, on Saturday, Oct. 24 and learn more about the artist’s process.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, an afternoon with the curator will take place. On that day, Payton will be joined by Griff Williams, the founder of Gallery 16 and the pioneering fine art printmaking workshop Urban Digital Color in San Francisco. He has designed and published books with the Gallery 16 Editions imprint, including a monograph on the life and artwork of Ray.
"He used scissors like making light," Payton says about Ray. "He was always cutting things up and building a cache of shapes to work from."
That light has traveled to Monterey. Be sure to visit the museum this season; this eye-pleasing show stays on display until Jan. 17.