Rug
Design Date 2000s
Designer Rex Ray (1956–2015, American)
Manufacturer SAMAD (1985–present), East Rutherford, NJ / Jaipur, India
Media hand-knotted wool
Dimensions 125 1/2 x 97 inches
Rex Ray was born Michael Patterson on September 11, 1956 on a United States military base in Germany and spent most of his childhood in Colorado Springs, CO. He received his BFA in 1988 from the San Francisco Art Institute and made a career for himself in California. Ray also received an MFA in 1990 in performance studies. He worked as a graphic designer for big name companies such as Apple, DreamWorks and Sony and also created colorful rock posters and album artwork for musical groups including Radiohead, REM and David Bowie. Ray’s signature artwork became his mixed media collages (mix of painting and paper) which have a characteristic graphic design flair and vibrant pops of color. Samad, manufacturer of Ray’s rugs, calls them “art for the floor.” With their bold use of color and imaginative designs it is easy to see why. His work is part of many museum collections including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Jose Museum of Art and the Berkeley Art Museum. Ray passed away from lymphoma in February 2015.
ON VIEW in Postmodern Gallery 8
Markings "REX RAY for SAMAD" signature label on bottom
Credit Line Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Accession Number 2021.051.001
