I was very sad to learn that San Francisco-based contemporary artist
Rex Ray (aka Michael Patterson) passed away today following a battle with cancer. You can read about his life and passing
here and
here.
He was a prolific graphic designer and collage artist who also designed hundreds of concert posters and provided graphic design for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Björk, U2, Radiohead, David Bowie, and Patti Smith. I'm a huge fan of his collages on wood with resin and enjoy having a couple of reproduction prints of them around us here at Ourhaus. I regret that we will not see more work from this celebrated contemporary.
If you're inspired to keep his work living on, you can learn "How to Make a Rex Ray"
in this aptly named video starring Rex himself.
Rex Ray also collaborated with a number of companies to create products for the home. You can surround yourself with his work in many ways. This
collaboration with Blik wall decals is really great, as it gives you the freedom to interpret and position the shapes as you wish:
For another way to bring Rex's work into the home, check out his collaboration with
Nomad Rugs—I think his aesthetic translated beautifully to woven wool:
Rest in peace, good sir. We're happy to have known you in your work.