Fine art should be accessible to everyone.
We believe in art. We also believe you don’t need to be an expert to collect and appreciate it. Artist Thomas Ray Willis came from a low income family, raised in a city without local art museums or many cultural centers. The commercial art of his hometown, Las Vegas, is what gave him the inspiration to create Retrofit Painting. There he internalized how the humorous portrayal of fine art was interlaced with the landscape, as seen by the Strip: a chrome King Tut at the Luxor, a plaster Pietà at Caesar's Palace, postcards of Picassos at Paris Casino. Bringing in over 40 million visitors a year, these replicas had reach. Here is where he learned that design and commerce can make items of value accessible in America.
Taking art off the wall, out of the gallery, and into your life.
Retrofit Painting expands the domain of art into the everyday world. We draw inspiration from Willis’ studio practice and expand on the concept of the stretcher bar––fundamental to the time-old practice of painting––into a new dimension that flourishes in decor, interior design, and adornments for the body. By selling high designed, limited edition multiples through art museums, pop-up boutiques, and our online store, we make art reachable to your appeal and personal taste.
We are Retrofit Painting.
Retrofit Painting uses the canvas stretcher motif for the basis of all our designs. We modify this shape, and broaden the idea of what paintings have typically been defined as, to show that art can be enjoyed by audiences across any demographic. Every piece is artisanally crafted with high quality materials such as gold, silver, brass, oak, linen, clay, or 3D printed plastics and engraved with the signature RP monogram.
Thomas Ray Willis
Artist and founder of Retrofit Painting
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Retrofit Painting was created in 2013. Based in New York City , it sells its exclusive items through standalone boutiques (such as at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas 2015 P3studio summer residency on the Las Vegas Strip or the deCordova Sculpture Park near Boston, Massachusetts) or through the website.
Retrofit Painting was made possible by The Art Production Fund of New York, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Wellesley College, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Casablanc Boston, and Bombay Sapphire. Special thanks to Casey Fremont, Kathleen Lynch, Krista Chmielewski, Jackie Feinberg, Michael Maizels, Justin Favela, Eric Petitti, David Ryan, Mikayla Whitmore, Darlin Frometa, Claire Whitman, Jessica Doherty, Abby Duren, Kayte Duren, Krystal Ramirez, Jesse Smigel, Jennifer Kleven, Victor Torres, Christie Lee, Audrey Barcio, Larry Knowles, David Teng Olsen, Maggie Devries, Jack Wolfe, Cait Dana, Pat Dagle, Wigbert Wiggz Caro, Marty Nee, Ileana Selejan, Samantha Linnane, Lexi Lee Sullivan, Kate Legg, Samantha Cataldo, Liz Leahy, Julie Bernson, Emily Garner, Deborah Lee, Duy Hoang, Liz Gardner, Sarah Sherman, Misty Cranston-Bates, Lauren Termini, Steve Lewis, Jon Tee, Ximi Bobadilla, and David Kinchen.