Ray McCarty (1934-2018) Originals and Gilcees

As early as the age of five, McCarty began demonstrating his artistic talent. Raised in the mountains of northern Utah, his first paintings were sketches of the American West inspired in part by his outlaw ancestry, The McCarty Gang, partners in crime with Butch Cassidy.

As a young man, McCarty studied the great masters in Spain and France and his work began to show the distinct influence of Modigliani, Renoir, and LeTrec. Women in Victorian settings began to take precedence over the cowboys and Indians of his earlier western paintings. His experimentation for a brief period in nonobjective art provided the freedom of technique that contributed to his unique style.

Ray’s dramatic use of line and color, along with foreshortening techniques make his work instantly recognizable. He uses an oil glaze, which lets his charcoal underdrawing show through. We can compare his vision with that of LeTrec in his treatment of the female face & form. McCarty uses live models in all of his portraits. His canvasses capture emotion in all of the many human palettes: proud and naughty, sensual and sexually confident, shy and humble, reflective and contemplative.

During the early 70’s, McCarty relocated to Las Vegas. Acutely aware of the city’s renegade past and fascinated with its brash, glitzy attitude McCarty began to paint scenes from the town’s early gambling saloons. In each vignette you can feel the excitement of the game as McCarty captures the essence of femininity in interplay with the strong masculine faces of the old western lifestyle.

In addition to home enjoyment by private collectors, McCarty displays are well known in the west as image makers in fine restaurants, cigar rooms and hotel foyers and lounges. Luxury resort and corporate retreats use multiple piece displays to create a mood or just for patrons to enjoy. Steve Wynn art connoisseur, well known for the development of fabulous themed gaming resorts in Las Vegas owns a large selection of McCarty originals.