'Paintings, drawings, photography, fractals’: interview with artist Lisa Wray

Lisa Wray is one of the early pioneers of visual graphic media arts. Her works can be viewed as tradigital art and metaphysical art.

Q. What's your recent work in digital art?

A. My recent work and the work I have been doing for the past 30 or so years are my Reiki Tarot Card deck. My other art can be seen on lisawray.com

Q. How do you create a work?

A. The art is tradigital, so it is a combination of mixed medias (could be anything really - paintings, drawings, photography fractals, etc.) I bring the art into the computer either by scanning or digital photography, or the art can also be created and drawn or painted in with software tools found in the various programs. I color retouch and rework the compositions. So what comes out when I print is really what I call a multiple original. Kind of like a negative in the darkroom.

Look at the Gallery: Digital Art - Lisa Wray

When I was trying to figure out what my style would be called in the fine art world, I began reading excerpts from the writings of painters and sculptors to learn the way those Master Artists thought about art. I stumbled upon Giorgio De Chirico's ideas in the early 1900's where he speaks of his "Metaphysical Painting" and his ideas closely resembled my own thinking and so that is why I call my art style Metaphysical. In his words: "To become truly immortal a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the regions of childhood visions and dream" and: "Everything has two aspects: the current aspect, which we see nearly always and which ordinary men see, and the ghostly and metaphysical aspect, which only rare individuals may see in moments of clairvoyance and metaphysical abstraction. A work of art must narrate something that does not appear within its outline. I remember one vivid winter's day at Versailles. Silence and calm reigned supreme. Everything gazed at me with mysterious, questioning eyes. And then I realized that every corner of the palace, every column, every window possessed a spirit, an impenetrable soul·At that moment I grew aware of the mystery which urges men to create certain strange forms. And the creation appeared more extraordinary than the creators."

Q. Do you think technology can help art?

A. Yes! Ralph Mayer wrote in 1978 in The artist's handbook of materials and techniques: "... the widespread application of new and improved raw materials and technical methods almost always coincided with the introduction of new art forms. New standards of excellence, both artistic and technical, always become established with the development of any new methods and materials, and in their own way they become just as complete artistic expressions as the older traditional standards."

Q. What is your preferred movie and why?

A. I love the movie Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett. The history is fascinating, the screenplay is well written, the acting is superb and for the scenery and costumes.

Q. Have you ever visited Italy?

A. No, but I would love to. My husbands parents came through Ellis Island from Italy, from Camerino and Perugia. He passed away in 2010, on our 21st wedding anniversary.

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