Carl Ray

First Nations artist Carl RayBorn(1943-01-10)January 10, 1943Sandy Lake First Nation, OntarioDiedSeptember 26, 1978(1978-09-26) (aged 35)Sioux Lookout, OntarioKnown forPainterMovementIndian Group of Seven Carl Ray (January 10, 1943 – September 26, 1978) was a First Nations artist who was active on the Canadian art scene from 1969 until his death in 1978. Considered primarily a Woodlands Style artist. He was a founding member of the Indian Group of Seven. He began painting when he was 30 years old. Biography Ray was born on January 10, 1943, on the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve in northern Ontario, Canada and was known in his Oji-cree community as Tall Straight Poplar (he was 6'4" tall) where he hunted and trapped after leaving residential school at fifteen following the death of his father. At this traditional way of living he was a failure - in Ray's own words years later: "a year's catch consisted of four beaver, one lynx, and an assortment of mice and rabbits". Despite showing artistic promise at an early age, Carl was reluctant to break the taboo of painting the sacred beliefs and stories of his people. He did not touch a brush or paint for many years after having been admo