Man Ray
Emmanuel Radnitsky, that is Man Ray real name, was born on August 27, 1890 in Philadelphia, where his family recently emigrated from the Russian Empire. Due to frequent anti-Semitic attacks, the family changed their name to Ray. At 22, the young man took the name Man - transforming it from Emmanuel. The name Man Ray sounded harmonious. It was this name that was destined to become famous.
At childhood he was running away from school to once again visit museums and look at the work of his favourite artists. Walking through the halls, the boy dreamed that one day he will also become great. This idea fixed at instant in the mind of Man Ray and he began his own path into art. After leaving school, Man refused a scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to receive an architect's education, he wanted be an artist and searched the bohemian life.
At childhood he was running away from school to once again visit museums and look at the work of his favourite artists. Walking through the halls, the boy dreamed that one day he will also become great. This idea fixed at instant in the mind of Man Ray and he began his own path into art. After leaving school, Man refused a scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to receive an architect's education, he wanted be an artist and searched the bohemian life.
Man Ray
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«Ray actively experimented with foreshortening composition of images, innovative photo montage, abstract photography and other new techniques».
Man Ray first started to use camera at the age of 24 to shoot his art objects, but quickly realized what potential camera has. In 1913, he met the French artist Marcel Duchamp, and together they started collaborating on many works, both artistic and seemingly practical. They soon formed a New York group of Dada artists. Under the influence of the avant-garde artists, Ray moved to Paris and settled on the bohemian Montparnasse.
Here, Man Ray is referred to the New Vision movement. Where photography is seen as a separate form of art, and not as a continuation of painting. Ray actively experimented with foreshortening composition of images, innovative photo montage, abstract photography and other new techniques.
He was making photographs of celebrities, friends, relatives and of course his lovers. Kiki became his muse, which Ray immortalized in the image "Le violon d’Ingres". Another work of them was "Black and White", where the girl's face is contrasted with an African mask.
Here, Man Ray is referred to the New Vision movement. Where photography is seen as a separate form of art, and not as a continuation of painting. Ray actively experimented with foreshortening composition of images, innovative photo montage, abstract photography and other new techniques.
He was making photographs of celebrities, friends, relatives and of course his lovers. Kiki became his muse, which Ray immortalized in the image "Le violon d’Ingres". Another work of them was "Black and White", where the girl's face is contrasted with an African mask.
When they broke up, Man Ray found solace with Lee Miller. This girl came into the life of a photographer, stating that she wants to become a student of a famous master. Then three years of close cooperation followed, during which the photographer created several portraits of Lee.
Ray made the famous image “Crystal Tears” as an allegory of the runaway of Miller and her fake feelings. The reason was the departure of the girl who began her own career as a photographer and married an Egyptian businessman.
Ray made the famous image “Crystal Tears” as an allegory of the runaway of Miller and her fake feelings. The reason was the departure of the girl who began her own career as a photographer and married an Egyptian businessman.
«I draw what cannot be photographed. I
photography what I don’t want to draw - the
things that have their own essence».
The path of the innovator was the main vector of the work of Man Ray, who, with the help of photography, was able to erase the boundaries between the real and the artificial. His unexpected experiments led to the emergence of a method which today is called rayography. If we talk about the technical side of this method, Man Ray began to shoot with the shadow of an object located on a clean sheet of photosensitive paper, without a camera.
Later photographer was experimenting with solarization. This process rendered part of a photographic image as a negative and part as a positive by exposing either a print or negative to a flash of light during development. Although the solarization process had been known since the middle of 19th century, it was the first time it was used purposely as an artistic and aesthetic tool.
Later photographer was experimenting with solarization. This process rendered part of a photographic image as a negative and part as a positive by exposing either a print or negative to a flash of light during development. Although the solarization process had been known since the middle of 19th century, it was the first time it was used purposely as an artistic and aesthetic tool.
The last stop in the chaotic life of a genius artist was France. Art objects, paintings, books. In the Paris period, Man Ray avoided doing photography, he was focused more on paintings and writing autobiography. The long-awaited success comes to him, his retrospectives go in Europe and America. He will outlive his friends - Marcel Duchamp and Max Ernst and will die at the age of 86.
“I do not photograph nature, I photograph my fantasies,”- Man Ray said about his work. With this phrase he was able to explain what he had been doing all his life.
“I do not photograph nature, I photograph my fantasies,”- Man Ray said about his work. With this phrase he was able to explain what he had been doing all his life.