Richard Dick Wray (1933 - 2011) was an
American abstract expressionist painter whose work had an influence on
the art scene in Houston, Texas. After an art career spanning over 50
years, he died at age 77 of liver disease. His work continues to be
showcased by art institutions and organizations across Houston,
including the William Reaves Gallery, and is listed on the official
website for the National Gallery of Art.
In 1955, Wray received an honorable
discharge from the Army and enrolled in the School of Architecture of
the University of Houston. There, he would spend the next 3 years
studying various forms of architecture, until leaving the school to
finish his studies at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, the Arts Academy of
the city of Düsseldorf, Germany. Wray travelled to Europe in 1958 in
order to discover what he believed was the "center" of the art world.
The two years he spent in Europe—beginning in Paris and concluding in
Germany—laid the foundation for his painting career. Though originally
interested in architecture, Wray's interactions with the work of
abstract expressionists, artists of a European avant-garde movement
known as the CoBrA group and New York Abstract Expressionists (which
Wray also saw for the first time in Europe) had tremendous influences on
his artistic passions. In effect, Wray deviated away from architecture
and, equipped with new knowledge of European expressionism, returned to
Texas at age 26 to begin his career as a painter.Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment