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Photographs by Man Ray: 105 Works, 1920-1934
"Dada is artistic free-thinking." — Breton
Man Ray (1890–1976), American photographer, painter, designer, sculptor, and filmmaker, arrived in Paris in 1921. Inspired by a unique artistic vision grounded in the deliberate irrationality of Dada and the incongruous vision of Surrealism, Ray created a gallery of striking unforgettable images that etch themselves into the mind and transform our perceptions of reality. This beautiful large-format volume reproduces on coated stock a rich selection of these works, created amid the intellectual and artistic ferment of the 20's and 30's.
To achieve his remarkable effects, Ray experimented with various over and under exposure, shooting through different fabrics, superimposing images, and zeroing in on tiny details. In his "The removal of inculcated modes of presentation, resulting in apparent artificiality or strangeness … is to be welcomed." To preserve the full dramatic impact of his ground-breaking work, Dover has carefully and painstakingly reproduced these photographs from a rare gravure edition. The photographs are divided into 5
Photos 1–24: general subjects (still lifes, rooms, landscapes, cityscapes, flowers)
Photos 25–42: female figures , mainly nudes
Photos 43–66: women's faces (including Gertrude Stein)
Photos 67–84: celebrity portraits (Ray, Dalí, Tzara, Sinclair Lewis, Joyce, Eluard, Breton, Derain, Braque, Matisse, Picasso, and others)
Photos 85–104: rayographs , "cameraless" compositions created by resting objects on unexposed film
Also included in this edition are acclamatory texts by Eluard, Breton, and Tzara in the original French with English translations; a German text by Rrose Sélavy (pseudonymous) with English translation; an Introduction by Ray with French translation, and a portrait of Ray by Picasso.
Today, Ray's individual photographs command high prices on the collector's market. Indeed, the original edition of this book sells for hundreds of dollars. The publication of this inexpensive Dover edition thus allows photographers, artists, designers, and students of art and photography an unparalleled opportunity to savor and study these iconoclastic masterpieces. Most of the photos are full page, or nearly so, and reveal the profoundly original vision of a man for whom the violation of convention was "far preferable to the monstrous habits condoned by etiquette and estheticism."
Man Ray (1890–1976), American photographer, painter, designer, sculptor, and filmmaker, arrived in Paris in 1921. Inspired by a unique artistic vision grounded in the deliberate irrationality of Dada and the incongruous vision of Surrealism, Ray created a gallery of striking unforgettable images that etch themselves into the mind and transform our perceptions of reality. This beautiful large-format volume reproduces on coated stock a rich selection of these works, created amid the intellectual and artistic ferment of the 20's and 30's.
To achieve his remarkable effects, Ray experimented with various over and under exposure, shooting through different fabrics, superimposing images, and zeroing in on tiny details. In his "The removal of inculcated modes of presentation, resulting in apparent artificiality or strangeness … is to be welcomed." To preserve the full dramatic impact of his ground-breaking work, Dover has carefully and painstakingly reproduced these photographs from a rare gravure edition. The photographs are divided into 5
Photos 1–24: general subjects (still lifes, rooms, landscapes, cityscapes, flowers)
Photos 25–42: female figures , mainly nudes
Photos 43–66: women's faces (including Gertrude Stein)
Photos 67–84: celebrity portraits (Ray, Dalí, Tzara, Sinclair Lewis, Joyce, Eluard, Breton, Derain, Braque, Matisse, Picasso, and others)
Photos 85–104: rayographs , "cameraless" compositions created by resting objects on unexposed film
Also included in this edition are acclamatory texts by Eluard, Breton, and Tzara in the original French with English translations; a German text by Rrose Sélavy (pseudonymous) with English translation; an Introduction by Ray with French translation, and a portrait of Ray by Picasso.
Today, Ray's individual photographs command high prices on the collector's market. Indeed, the original edition of this book sells for hundreds of dollars. The publication of this inexpensive Dover edition thus allows photographers, artists, designers, and students of art and photography an unparalleled opportunity to savor and study these iconoclastic masterpieces. Most of the photos are full page, or nearly so, and reveal the profoundly original vision of a man for whom the violation of convention was "far preferable to the monstrous habits condoned by etiquette and estheticism."
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1934
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About the author
Man Ray
173 books50 followersMan Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky), was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal. Best known in the art world for his avant-garde photography, Man Ray produced major works in a variety of media and considered himself a painter above all. He was also a renowned fashion and portrait photographer.
While appreciation for Man Ray’s work beyond his fashion and portrait photography was slow in coming during his lifetime, especially in his native United States, his reputation has grown steadily in the decades since.
In 1999, ARTnews magazine named him one of the 25 most influential artists of the 20th century, citing his groundbreaking photography as well as "his explorations of film, painting, sculpture, collage, assemblage, and prototypes of what would eventually be called performance art and conceptual art" and saying "Man Ray offered artists in all media an example of a creative intelligence that, in its 'pursuit of pleasure and liberty,'" — Man Ray’s stated guiding principles — "unlocked every door it came to and walked freely where it would."
While appreciation for Man Ray’s work beyond his fashion and portrait photography was slow in coming during his lifetime, especially in his native United States, his reputation has grown steadily in the decades since.
In 1999, ARTnews magazine named him one of the 25 most influential artists of the 20th century, citing his groundbreaking photography as well as "his explorations of film, painting, sculpture, collage, assemblage, and prototypes of what would eventually be called performance art and conceptual art" and saying "Man Ray offered artists in all media an example of a creative intelligence that, in its 'pursuit of pleasure and liberty,'" — Man Ray’s stated guiding principles — "unlocked every door it came to and walked freely where it would."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 17, 2018
This is kind of cheating because this is technically a book of photography with minimal writing, but Man Ray is the man and probably in my top five favorite artists. He was mentioned in some book I read recently and I picked this up at the library. These pictures are magical. They have an eerie, supernatural quality that my simple mind will never understand. Everything about lighting, exposure, cameras, etc. is lost on me. I just know that Man Ray's work is breathtaking. It's so inviting and alive. If I had the money I'd buy a high quality, more comprehensive collection of his work. Shamefully, I am not financially able to. :-(
November 25, 2022
Very good introduction to the huge photographic work of the artist – garnished with texts by his friends and colleagues, so that you get several well-known voices of the time. Several chapters give orientation in his main subjects as still-life, celebrety portraiture, nudes, women.
March 1, 2013
Not a collector book but wonderfully affordable collection of Man Ray photos and portraits, plus writings from Picasso, Eluard, Breton, Tzara and others.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews