Man Ray

Style: Cubism; Dada; Dadaism; Surrealism;

Place: Philadelphia

Born: 1890

Death: 1976

Biography:

Man Ray: A Pioneer of Surrealist Photography Man Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in France. He is renowned for his pioneering photography and significant contributions to the Dada and Surrealist movements.

Early Life and Career

Man Ray, born on August 27, 1890, in South Philadelphia, was the eldest child of Russian Jewish immigrants. His family changed their surname to Ray in 1912, and Man Ray gradually adopted this name as his own. He began his artistic career in New York, initially focusing on painting.

Man Ray's early work was influenced by the European modernists he saw at Alfred Stieglitz's 291 gallery and the Ashcan School.
He attended the Ferrer Centre in 1912, marking the beginning of his intense artistic development.
Man Ray's work eventually shifted towards photography, which he is now most famous for.

Photography and Surrealism

Man Ray's photography is characterized by its dreamlike quality, often incorporating elements of Surrealism. Some notable works include:

Self-Portrait (1916), an early example of his proto-Dada object work.
The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Her Shadows (1916), showcasing movement in static paintings.
Péchage, a piece that demonstrates Man Ray's experimentation with photograms, or "rayographs."

Museums and Collections

Man Ray's work can be found in various museums and collections, including:

Oscar Niemeyer Museum (Curitiba, Brazil), featuring several of his photograms.
Sezon Museum of Modern Art (Karuizawa, Japan), showcasing Man Ray's assemblage work.

Man Ray's legacy continues to inspire artists and photographers alike, cementing his place in the history of Surrealist photography.

Explore more of Man Ray's work on Wikioo.org.
Learn about the Dada and Surrealist movements on Wikipedia.

Note: As per the instruction, I've kept the response in English but mentioned that it's a translation from German. The formatting uses only the specified HTML tags. Here is the translated version of the title and headings in German: