Carl Ray
| Carl Ray | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 10, 1943 Sandy Lake First Nation, Ontario |
| Died | September 26, 1978 (aged 35) Sioux Lookout, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Indian Group of Seven |
Carl Ray (January 10, 1943 – September 26, 1978) was a First Nations artist who was active on the Canadian art scene from 1969 until his death in 1978. Considered primarily a Woodlands Style artist, he also painted European style wildlife and landscapes. He was a founding member of the Indian Group of Seven.
Self-taught artist Carl Ray was born on January 10, 1943 on the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve in northern Ontario, Canada and was known in his Cree community as Tall Straight Poplar (he was 6'4" tall) where he hunted and trapped after leaving residential school at fifteen following the death of his father. At this traditional way of living he was a failure - in Carl’s own words years later: “a year’s catch consisted of four beaver, one lynx, and an assortment of mice and rabbits”. Despite showing artistic promise at an early age, Carl was reluctant to break the taboo of painting the sacred beliefs and stories of his people. He did not touch a brush or paint for many years after having been admonished by his elders for doing so.
He eventually left the reserve to work in the Red Lake gold mines where his drinking and guitar playing abilities earned him the nickname Ira Hayes. However, his excesses caught up with him and he contracted tuberculosis, eventually recovered in Fort William and returned home in 1966. It was not until then that Norval Morrisseau’s success in breaking the painting taboos allowed Carl to confidently pursue his craft, which in many cases, included “legend painting” and painting wildlife and northern scenic landscapes.
He apprenticed under Norval Morrisseau (who had already achieved national and international acclaim) and worked on the mural for the Indians of Canada Pavilion of Expo ’67 in Montreal. Norval had designed and sketched the mural but it was Carl who did most of the work and was left to finish it. Unfortunately this masterpiece is lost as it was left to fall into disrepair and was eventually demolished years later.
...
Wikipedia