Rob Ray

Welcome! This website catalogs many of my artmaking projects and collaborations. I am currently doing a lot of projects over at KDZU. I also spent most of last year in collaboration with the Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) on the Remote Sensing project for the Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide. You can see some of this work below in the Tower and Control Room project.

Art & Design

Tower and Control Room

Radio tower and control room for listening to the R-2508 airspace for the the Center for Land Use Interpretation's (CLUI) Remote Sensing exhibition in 2025.

radio installation sound electronics

The Changes You Made May Not Be Saved

Conjuring speculative collectivities in maps, augmented reality, 1:24 scale models, pirate radio, chalkboards, and show flyers.

radio mapping diorama 3D printing

Bucky's Animal Spirit

An interventionist arcade game disguised as an ATM Machine and installed surreptitiously in public spaces. Help Bucky and Toothy dodge economic precarity!

intervention video electronics

Strange Sounds in Strange Places

I led groups into the woods and we created confounding and mysterious sound installations! Commisioned by the Abandon Normal Devices Festival. Thank you, ANDfest!

zine sound intervention installation

Movement! Ear! Lung!

I performed through Elana Mann's Listening as (a) Movement public acoustic sculpture commissioned by Side Street Projects. Thank you, Elana!

sound electronics intervention zine

Susurrati

Flora twitch in polyrhythms to create an idiosyncratic morse code. A collab with Deborah Stratman and commissioned by ESS. Thank you, Deb and ESS!

sound electronics collaboration

Animal Behavior

Jen Hofer and I created a monument to escape created and installed without permission in Colorado's Prison Valley region. We sweated our butts off in 100°+ heat making this. Thank you, Jen!

installation intervention collaboration

Cortex Activities for Codex Activities

Reanimated biorhythmic and optical abberations as infrastructure for the Reanimation Library's Highland Park Branch. Thank you, Andrew and Aurora!

design installation collaboration

Subject to Greater Uncertainties

A solar-powered performance with sonic boom accompaniment and beehive smelter reverb chambers for Radius experimental radio. Thank you, Jeff!

electronics sound energy radio

You Can Do It! Good Job!

Enthusiastic encouragement is an evocation of support often instigated by burning frustration. When performed attentively, it can be highly rewarding for both the speaker and recipient.

video weird feelings

Reeling

Anticipation is its own special type of euphoria —pre-excitement for the actual excitement. Anticipation can be the best part of road trips, blind dates, holidays and birthdays.

video weird feelings

Get Lost!

A GPS and compass-based "disorienteering" guidebook. Commisioned by the Abandon Normal Devices Festival. Thank you, ANDfest!

intervention zine mapping

COMPUTE-A-LOVE

Touch-activated dioramic "computer" possibly predicting your luck in love.

electronics diorama

Opposable Thumbs Podcast Projects

I co-hosted 100 episodes of the Opposable Thumbs podcast with the mighty Taylor Hokanson. Taylor, myself, and often a guest tackled a new creative challenge every two weeks and then we talked about how it went. The guest then proposed the next episode's challenge. It was totally awesome, a real crucible of learning, and also completely exhausting. You can check out the episodes over at opposablepodcast.com.

Listen to Tiny Insect Footsteps

Turn a record needle into an extremely sensitive recording device. I was able to capture the footsteps of a fly!

electronics sound

Lo-Fi Looping

Five seconds of hiccuping fuzzy warbling bliss with cassette tape loops!

electronics sound

Holiday Lights Protest Sign (ABOLISH ICE)

Make an eye-catching protest sign with holiday lights, cardboard, and a hot glue gun. Also, ABOLISH ICE.

design intervention electronics

Kissyface 4x4

I interviewed a 2 year-old to determine their top needs for an a 4x4 truck toy. Cat wheels and lips for kissing! Thank you for the feedback, Z!

design 3D printing collaboration

Creative Person's Survival Kit

I made a creative person's "bug out bag" for on-the-go ideation and making. Also, I was adopted by a puppy!

electronics intervention installation

Ping Pong Throwies

Graffiti technology for creating 3D "pixel" art on any ferrous metal surface.

design intervention

Yosemite's Liberation Valley

A re-imagining of the U.S. National Park through map making. Let's go canoeing on the Francisco Ramirez River! Let's take a ride on the Deep Listening Trolley!

mapping design intervention

Art Fabrication & Electronics

I do quite a bit of electronics work and fabication for other artists and designers. I really enjoy the weird and hard challenges artists and designers face. I also do frequent electronics repairs on artworks for galleries and collectors. My fanciest clients prefer this work is done with descretion, understandably, so I don't post those projects publicly. Please reach out if you are in need of a creative technologist or repairperson. I'm happy to chat and send you some references!

Rob Ray feral art and technology