Some artists aren't starving

Rex Ray postcard book cover

Rex Ray, Dolomite Loop, Mixed media on linen, 2001

An image from a postcard I have already sent (therefore do not have information for!)

REM poster for the Greek Theatre Show

My husband knows how much I love collage and for Christmas he gave me a postcard book with 30 cards depicting images of Rex Ray's collage work from over the years.  Rex Ray is a San Francisco based fine artist, whose collages, paintings and design work have been exhibited at galleries and museums, including The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, University Art Museum in Berkeley, San Jose Museum of Modern Art, and the Los Angeles Contemporary, to name a few.  So, Rex is obviously well-known and highly regarded for his fine art , but he is also a fantastic graphic designer and has certainly made a name for himself designing as well.  In this economy, many artists are being forced to find other sources of income, and it seems as though graphic design is a popular option.  In fact, many of my artists work as both fine artists and graphic designers.

It appears that Rex Ray is accomplished as both, evidenced by his extensive resume of museum and gallery shows as well as examples of design work that include over 100 rock and roll tour posters, including ones for The Rolling Stones, Patti Smith, REM, Bjork, U2 and Radiohead (which I absolutely love since I am music-obsessed).  It is quite nice to read that he has recently arrived at a place in his fine art career where his original artwork in finally paying the bills.  It is inspiring to know that this can be his single source of income; as I know many artists strive for that.

So, in honor of 'making art a career,' I am currently sending all of my correspondence (for the gallery and otherwise) on these Rex Ray postcards.  It is so personal to receive a postcard these days and Rex Ray is certainly a wonderful inspiration.