Rose Bowl art tribute travels to Kerrytown

It wasn't until Ray Materson entered the big house that he learned to express his love and admiration for the Big House, the University's stadium.

Materson was serving time in a Connecticut prison for robbery in late 1988, around the time of the Michigan-USC Rose Bowl game, when he decided to make a statement.

"I saw a fella hanging socks outside of his cell. They happened to be maize and blue, so I traded a pack of cigarettes for them." Materson said. "I tore a corner of a bed sheet and borrowed a needle from a block officer and fashioned a big block 'M' so I could sew it on a visor cap and wear it during the Rose Bowl."

Materson said he then decided to buy some popcorn, get comfortable in front of the television, and wear his new visor cap to pretend he was actually in Pasadena.

SARA STILLMAN/Daily Joshua Moyer, proprietor of Kerrytown's Bruise Gallery, stands in front of Ray Materson's sock art.

"Well, surprisingly, other guys came up to me and asked where I had gotten the hat," Materson said. "To their surprise, I told them I made it, and pretty soon I started getting orders for anything from a Harley Davidson logo to a Puerto Rico flag."

Materson began using socks to create his embroideries, which went onto hats and T-shirts. He told the other inmates that if they wanted something, they had to provide the socks with the appropriate colors.

"I don't know how, but if a guy wanted the Seattle Seahawks, I'd have a pile of socks the next day that were Seattle-Seahawks-green," he said.

Materson eventually decided that his idea could become more than just an activity to pass the time. He next produced Renoit's "The Swing" and Monet's "Sunrise" out of a collection of socks that he amassed.

"When I realized I could do those, I started making my own pieces," Materson said. He realized he could use his sock-weaving talent to make a living "rather than doing these things for bags of coffee or packs of cigarettes."

Later on, through connections with art shows and galleries on the East Coast, Materson met his wife, Melanie, who initially helped him display his works in stores in Albany, N.Y.

Materson's work later turned from sports logos and classic pieces to personal, autobiographical art depicting his life.

Materson said this approach is the heart of his artistry.

"A big part of my experience is about sharing the story," he said. "You can see images of redemption in my work."

Materson's work is currently displayed in Kerrytown's Bruise Gallery. Joshua Moyer, the proprietor of the shop, initially got in touch with Materson through his father, who taught Materson at Grand Valley State University.

Materson only recently began showing his pieces in Ann Arbor. Previously, his work was featured mostly in New York's SoHo and other art hot spots.

The illness of Materson's mother brought him to the Ann Arbor area, and when he learned of Moyer's gallery, he decided to display his Rose Bowl piece, which he says is appropriate given the Wolverine's recent success on the football field.

"Ann Arbor is a really special place to me," Materson said. "Ann Arbor is ... Ann Arbor. Hey, it's the cerebral city - it's the Berkeley of the Midwest."

The artist will not be traveling to Pasadena, but added he would exchange a piece of his art for a plane ride and a ticket to the game for both himself and his wife.

12-01-97