Christopher T. Ray: An Artist and Sculptor of the Wissahickon Valley

Author: Don Plummer
Publisher: Plummer Design Works, Phoenixville, PA July 2001
ISBN: 0-9709099-2-6
201 pages, spiral bound, 336 photographs

Don Plummer has collected pretty much everything he could about Christopher Ray, the man and his works. He has published two books based on Christopher Ray. This book, CHRISTOPHER T. RAY: AN ARTIST AND SCULPTOR OF THE WISSAHICKON VALLEY, and a second book which contains Ray’s writings: THE QUADREVERZ JOURNALS.

Christopher Ray (1937-2000) was an artist who lived in the Philadelphia area, hence the Wissahickon Valley reference. He was a very talented and complex artist who worked in many different mediums: metal, music, dance, poetry, drawing, computers/internet. However, he tends to be best know for his metal work. This book starts with a short biography of the artist. Followed by commentaries of some of the works, written by Ray himself. Next are photographs of as many of Ray’s metal works as Don could find. There is a section based on a project Ray had been working on: On-Line Mini-Workshops. This section contains pictures and commentaries on how Ray approached his metal work, both from a design concept and the actual mechanics of shaping and assembling the sculpture. He shows the process for hollow forming copper and bronze sheet, including the tooling to do this. There is a section of his poetry combined with graphic images. The book concludes with extracts from his studio notes, “a monthly journal of sorts”. Interspersed throughout the book are many of Ray’s small drawings, or doodles.

As you read and study this book you begin to get some insight into a very complex man. An artist who put his work above his own financial and personal well-being. That may be the ultimate definition of an “artist”.

Some will find the book expensive at $60. However, Don had to publish, print, and assemble it himself because it would have been much too expensive too have done through the conventional publishing process. However, Ray is a contemporary metalsmith, an artist of our time. I think that in the end, his work speaks for itself, reason enough to buy the book.

Available from Plummer Design Works, Don Plummer, 392 Hallman Mill Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460, Plumdon@aol.com, 610-495-5058, for $60 plus $3.00 shipping & handling.

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 29 Jan 2009