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Rex Ray (b. 1956, Landstuhl, Germany; died 2015) was an American artist known for his innovative pop aesthetic across various mediums, including canvases, album covers, and murals.
Born Michael Patterson, he was raised in Colorado Springs and moved to San Francisco in 1981 where he adopted the name Rex Ray after being inspired by Andy Warhol. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989, and became a key figure in the Bay Area art and activist communities.
Ray’s influence spanned music, fashion, and design, with clients like David Bowie and Apple. His vibrant, abstract works combined xerography, woodblock prints, and collage, and reference mid-century modernism, Dada, and Pop Art.
His art has been exhibited at institutions such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Berkeley Art Museum. Notable publications about his work include Cut & Paste, and Rex Ray: Art + Design which explores his creative practice.