While some purists may scoff at the notion of handmade art going commercial, there’s definitely a place for this in the world of A&D. In fact, art history in the modern era is rife with examples of artists who co-opted their work into commercial, even mass-producible, venues—Warhol, Duchamp, and Marinetti come to mind. Count artist/designer Rex Ray in among this rarefied company. His wall decals for Blik are inspired by his handmade, hand painted collages and printed papers.

Spontaneous Horizon Wall Decals. Designed by Rex Ray. Manufactured by Blik.

Blik’s Wall Decals Come in a Myriad of Fantastical Shapes and Surprising Sizes

But perhaps I should re-phrase the above. For the Blik line of Rex Ray wall decals are not only inspired by the latter’s art, they are, in fact, exact reproductions of same. Of Course, Ray doesn’t painstakingly manufacture the paper for the Blik line—as he does with his art—but these hyper-colored facsimiles are imbued with his dynamic spirit just the same.

Blik offers the Rex Ray line of wall decals in four distinct styles: Spontaneous Horizon, Skyline Rhythm, Beyond the Borough, and A Mutual Bond. For my money, Spontaneous Horizon steals the show. An agglomeration of slightly elongated demi-spheres, each decal in this collection is imbued with signature Rex Ray panache, as their respective interiors are decorated with everything from a cross-section of a laminated oak panel to a dizzyingly intricate houndstooth weave.

Nor are the other three anything to shake a stick at. Beyond the Borough is comprised of a set of 29 alternating decals of printed ovals and printed frames, offering a whimsical interchange that often resembles a montage of ethereal, retro television sets. And A Mutual Bond is equally psychedelic, as these decals provide bold splashes of asynchronous color evoking an amoeba on a microscope lens, or the mad splatter of a gigantic technicolor insect.

About the Manufacturer: Blik is going on 10 years strong. In just that relatively short time, the manufacturer of removable wall decals has managed to become the industry standard for vivid graphics in the easy-on/easy-off venue. Their recent collaboration with San Francisco artist Rex Ray testifies to the truth of their assertion that they’re still young “and fun and slightly irreverent… after all, we are only 9. So we promise to continue collaborating with up & coming and established artists as well as groundbreaking brands.”