Ray H. French
| Ray H. French | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1919 Terre Haute, Indiana |
| Died | April 21, 2000 Greencastle, Indiana |
Ray H. French (May 16, 1919 – April 21, 2000) was a printmaker, painter, sculptor and artistic innovator. He attended the John Herron School of Art and received his Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Iowa under professor and artist Mauricio Lasansky. While French studied, traveled, and exhibited nationally and internationally, he remained dedicated to his home state of Indiana, which served as a strong artistic inspiration to him. In addition to his artistic career, French was also on the faculty of DePauw University from 1948 to 1984. Following his retirement from university service, French continued to create artwork in his private studio until his death in Greencastle, Indiana.
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana on May 16, 1919 to parents Edgar and Radie Mae, French demonstrated his artistic abilities from an early age. For a youth with humble beginnings, art was a luxurious, even rebellious, aspiration. As a child, French was first exposed to art by Mabel Mikel Williams who taught both in Vigo County elementary schools and also private students. His interests grew as he was encouraged further at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School by art teacher Nola E. Williams.[1]
After high school, French attended the Indiana University John Herron School of Art on scholarship. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and was stationed in Colorado developing reconnaissance photos. While in Colorado, he had the opportunity to study watercolor with Adolf Dehn at the University of Colorado.
Following World War II, French returned to John Herron School of Art on the G.I. Bill and then transferred to the University of Iowa, where he obtained his BFA in 1947 and MFA in 1948. In Iowa, French evolved under the mentorship of celebrated printmaker Mauricio Lasansky who had established one of the first printmaking MFA programs in the country. [2] French's 1949 engraving entitled Porcupine is indicative of this training and was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in 1949.
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