Ray Smith Prints and Multiples

Ray Smith elucidates the "Dream of a Boy Scout" in this surreal green, red, and yellow wood cut print. A woman with two faces sits nude within a diamond-shaped gold field of color, reaching up with her hand and out with her leg to touch the corners of the diamond, which each nestle a light fixture. Sueño de un Boy Scout, 1988-9 Woodcut in black, red and green, on oiled Japon, signed and dated in black ink, numbered 1/30 (there were also 3 artist's proofs) 25 x 39 in. Per the Broad: "Ray Smith’s paintings incorporate surrealistic and animistic tendencies informed by his Latin heritage as well as deep study of the history of modern art. Smith was born near the Texas/Mexico border...

Ray Smith's aptitude for the surreal is apparent in this portfolio of six drypoint prints, presented in a portfolio case. Each image depicts an intriguing, fantastic landscape populated with chimeric nudes. Each one is carefully printed to appear as if doodled on lined notebook paper with ballpoint pen: Japanese letter paper chine-colle on Kizuki Hosho paper. Translated as "Letters from Japan," Cartas de Japon plays on tropes of an exotic, faraway land. The series of prints perhaps pictures Japan in the imagination of westerners, who for centuries speculated that those from other continents had wildly different bodies and customs. The title may be a reference to iconic Mexican director Carlos Velo's 1973 film Letters from Japan. Cartas del Japon, 1988-89 Portfolio of 6 drypoint prints printed on Japanese letter paper mounted on Kizuki Hosho paper Plate 6 x 7.8 in. Paper 18 x 23.4 in. Ed. 30 with three artist proofs. Printed by Hideharu Mishio, Norimasa Mizutani, and Marie Okada at Woodblock Workshop. Published by AC&T CORPORATION, Tokyo, 1989. Per the Broad: "Ray Smith’s paintings incorporate surrealistic and animistic tendencies informed by his Latin heritage as well as deep study of the history of modern art. Smith was born near the Texas/Mexico border...

Ray Smith (United States, 1959) 'La Espera', 2020 Silkscreen on paper. Edition of 50 11.7 x 17.8 in. (29.5 x 45 cm.) Ref: SMI-101 Ray Smith (American, b.1959) Born in Brownsville, T...