Interview: Ray Materson Date: 4/2/09

Ray Materson was a middle class guy attending Thomas Jefferson College in Michigan, but his life went seriously down hill and he got started early hanging with the "wrong crowd", doing drugs and drinking everyday. Ray eventually progressed to cocaine which led him to commit an armed robbery with a toy gun. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the robbery. His charges also included attempted kidnapping and attempted escape. However, this path took a surprising turn; today he is a world renowned artist.

My interview with him was very short, I learned more about him through his powerful presentation. He is a very nice man, and clearly loves what he does.

1. What are your favorite materials to use? Thread from boxer shorts, tube socks and the elastics from the under wear.

2. How old were you when you started? Started in late 1988, when the Michigan University/USC game was at the Rose Bowl. His first piece was inspired by Michigan University's football team, the Wolverines, "GO BLUE!".

   1. Did you imagine your self being an artist when you were
      younger? No, he wrote plays when he was younger and enjoyed acting them out in front of his class. Pursued theater in college.

3. What were some other careers you seen your self doing when you were younger? Went to college and majored in Theater and Philosophy from Michigan University.

   1. Does/Did anyone around you encourage you to do art? No one encouraged him to pursue theater as a future career, his 2nd wife assisted in helping him sell his art while in prison and out side of prison, many people encouraged him to continue doing art, also helped himself stay clean off drugs. He had very little negative feedback from his fellow inmates, they actually payed him to make them stuff. The warden, when he was in prison, asked him to make a mural in the prison. Later on a new warden had it painted over. Some Correctional Officers actually bought and found supplies for him to make his pieces while he was incarcerated.

   2. What was your inspiration? His personal life experiences had a big influence in his art. His first piece was a visor cap with the Michigan University's football team, the Wolverines logo on it. Which got him started into making pieces for other inmates.

4. Who are your favorite artists? Who are your biggest influences? The two people that he looked up to were his father and Mickey Mantle.

5. What schools are/did you go to? Before making his art he attended Thomas Jefferson College in Michigan and gained a Bachelors in Theater and Philosophy.

6. What major projects are you working on right now? He was recently asked my a college in New Jersey to create a piece that makes a social statement. He chose to make 1 ½ x 1 ½ embroidered patch representing the 2 million people incarcerated in the United States. He is showing his art at the Exhibit of Textile Arts in the fall in France.

7. Where do you see you or your work in 10 years? He defiantly wants to continue his artwork, says it keeps him busy.

8. What advice would you give someone who is an aspiring artist? "Do It." As I was interviewing Ray, some troubled youth came up and introduced themselves and was asking for some advise about being an aspiring artist and all he said was "Do it, be brave, if you really throw your self into your passion, do it believe in yourself. Surround your self with supportive people that give off positive energy constantly and that respect you, do something that keeps you happy and keeps you busy." What kept him busy and helped him stay off drugs and out of trouble... "Faith, having something to do and having people that believe in you."

Ray is currently living in upstate Vermont and is continuing with his art and trying to stick to the goals he has made for himself which are wanting to get accepted in Europe, wanting to make his book, "Sins and Needles" into a movie. He is selling his average pieces of work between $3,500-$4,000.

At the end of my interview he said one last thing...... "I am genuinely impressed with all of AS220, you guys are doing great stuff here!"

If you want to view all of his art you can go to his web site

raymaterson.com