Artist Spotlight: Ray Mead

1921-1998

Born in Watford, England, Ray Mead received his art education in London, England before serving as an RAF pilot in World War II.  After the war, he moved to Canada and settled initially in Hamilton, Ontario and then moved to Toronto where he worked as an executive with MacLaren Advertising.  He became known in the Toronto art scene and was invited to participate in the 1953 exhibition “Abstracts at Home” at the Simpsons department store.  This was in effect the start of Painters 11,a Toronto based group of Abstract Expressionists.  They held their first official exhibition in February 1954 at the Roberts Gallery on Yonge Street.

Mead moved to Montreal in 1957 where he continued his artistic career and exhibited with Painters 11 until they disbanded in 1960. The “Untitled” canvas ( 40″ x 36″ ) was likely painted in the 1958 – 1960 timeframe as it is very reminiscent of other canvases produced by Mead from that period