Robert Ray

Art Brokerage: Robert Ray American Artist: b. 1924-2002. By the time Robert Ray decided to leave his native Denver and move to Taos, in 1954, he had served in the navy in the South Pacific during World War II, earned art degrees in California and Mexico, and lived in Europe for a year. His decision to move came after being invited by Eulalia Emetaz to exhibit at La Baleria Escondida, which at the time was the place to exhibit as a modern artist. In Taos, Earl Stroh introduced him to Helene Wurlitzer, who, to encourage him to remain, provided him with a studio-residence. He thus became one of the first beneficiaries of Mrs. Wurlitzer's generosity. When she commissioned several Taos artists to paint portraits of her for family members, she included Ray. He showed his work in regional and national exhibitions and sold some, but during the quiet winters of the 1950's when Taos nearly shut down economically, he was force to return to Denver for a few months of employment. The most frequent subjects of his early Taos oil paintings and woodcut prints were still lifes and semi-abstract landscapes. He was fascinated by the light of the Taos Valley, not just the light itself, but the way in which the quality of light defines the place. Listings wanted.