Ladies and Gents

Artist Statement

In the “Ladies and Gents” exhibition, Eric McRay states, “With this new series of works, I have in many ways summed up my long running jazz series.” For over two decades, McRay has blended the verve, images and rhythms of the Bebop jazz age with the non-objective abstraction tradition of the New York School of the 1940s and 1950s. His focus has been on subjective emotional expression with particular emphasis on spontaneous creative actions. McRay gives his personal interpretation of jazz, “the classical music of America.” Through his brilliant color, expressive brushstrokes, and improvisational application of acrylic paint, McRay captures the vibrancy and spontaneity of his musical subjects.

                                                   Artist Bio

McRay received a BFA degree at the Maryland Institute, College of Art, where he earned a four-year scholarship for his artistic talent. A native of Washington, DC, McRay moved to North Carolina and has been exhibiting since 1987. McRay is included in the collections of the SAS Institute, American Tobacco Campus, North Carolina Central University Art Museum, Duke Health Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health, NC State University, UNC – Chapel Hill and Western Wake Hospital, as well as many private collections locally, nationally and internationally.