Self Portrait

by Man Ray, Juliet Man Ray (Contributor), Merry A. Foresta (Contributor)

Man Ray's extraordinary autobiography, now in a lavishly illustrated paperback edition, reveals the entertaining life and times of this remarkable artist.
Legendary photographer, painter, creator of objects, and filmmaker, Man Ray was one of the most versatile and inventive artists of this century. From Greenwich Village to Paris to Hollywood and back to Paris, Man Ray figured prominently in the avant-garde, Dada, and Surrealist movements. Self Portrait is Man Ray's extremely frank autobiography, long unavailable in English. This new edition, now available for the first time in paperback, is fully illustrated with 250 pictures, in color and black and white. Many of these pictures had never before been published; others have become part of popular culture, such as The Gift, an iron studded with tacks, and The Lovers, his huge painting of lips floating in the Paris sky.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Photography, Memoir, Autobiography, Historical

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Man 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."

Reviews

[Aleksandra Bekreneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 год у меня начался с шедевра — Фолкнера, и заканчивается тоже шедевром — воспоминаниями легендарного фотографа-сюрреалиста Ман Рэя.

Когда я увидела работы Мэн Рэя впервые, ещё не зная, кто это, я сразу оторопела. Безумно талантливо. Ошеломляет. Смотришь и забываешь обо всём. Чувство: «Вот! Моё!»

Для любителей фактов, кто такой Ман Рэй:

— в 2022 году его фотография, «Скрипка Энгра», стала самой дорогой в мире. Её продали на аукционе почти за 13 миллионов долларов.
— Ман Рэй автор культовых снимков Коко Шанель, Джойса, Хемингуэя, Гертруды Стайн и многих других, которые вы наверняка однажды видели и задерживали на них взгляд.

Ман Рэй родился в США, обладал смекалкой, хитроумием и деловым чутьём. И даже какое-то время работал «в конторе», весьма успешно. И, наверняка, мог бы продолжать. Однако, с самого детства он экспериментировал: с фактурами, цветами, красками, самодельными скульптурами, арт-объектами и живописью. Позже он увлекся фотографией. У него было твёрдое понимание, с самого раннего возраста, что он хочет заниматься именно искусством. И ему было по большому счёту всё равно, что об этом думали окружающие.

Судьба занесла Рэя в ТОТ САМЫЙ Париж 20-х годов ХХ века, с его свободой и культом индивидуальности, и собственными ценностями, которые способствовали расцвету различных искусств. И, скажем так, весьма отличались от ценностей, принятых в других городах.

Если герой фильма Вуди Аллена «Полночь в Париже» лишь смутно желал окунуться в богемную и прекрасную атмосферу города, то Ман Рэй в ней по-настоящему жил. Он знал лично практически всех ключевых людей эпохи: писателей, художников, режиссёров, скульпторов.

Он всегда мечтал быть именно художником, но спрос на его услуги как фотографа, а также плата за них, всегда были выше. Так, постепенно, Ман Рэй всё меньше времени уделял живописи, всё больше — фотографии, становясь мастером и новатором именно в ней.

В то время фотография считалась НЕСЕРЬЁЗНЫМ искусством. И, признаю, мне было больно читать, как Мэн Рэй, который писал свой «Автопортрет» уже будучи фотографом-легендой, вольнодумец, первопроходец, «себе на уме», но нет-нет, да и «оправдывается», что забросил живопись и занимался ей не так много, как фотографией.

Правда, затем он, в конце книги, предлагает упразднить слово «серьёзный» по отношению к искусству вообще. Что такое «серьёзное искусство»? Что такое «несерьёзное»? Леонардо да Винчи — серьёзное? А NFT-искусство — уже нет? А если бы Леонардо жил сейчас и занимался NFT-искусством, оно бы стало серьёзным? А кто это решает? А давайте всё же выкинем это слово, а?

А вдруг Мэн Рэй бросил бы свою «несерьёзную» фотографию? И что, не было бы фотографа-легенды, на которого до сих пор равняются? А кому было бы лучше? Мир бы стал серьёзнее от этого?

Много-много раз посреди книги я останавливалась и думала: «Я так его понимаю!». Всё хорошее когда-нибудь заканчивается. Читать об оккупации Парижа в конце книги было почти невыносимо. Всё волшебство той эпохи, в которой жил и творил Ман Рэй, которая породила столько творцов, ушло навсегда.

Но, читая «Автопортрет», можно ненадолго пожить там: в Париже 20-х ХХ-го, среди самых талантливых людей. Это круто!

[Sophie (RedheadReading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing insight into Man Ray's life and art, along with the many other creatives he rubbed shoulders with. Kiki features a bit but there was a disappointing lack of Lee Miller.

[Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much credit given to Lee Miller.

[Eldenoa asil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ouvrez la première page et vous aurez fait un saut dans le temps. Vous vous trouver au beau milieu du XXème siècle entre New York et Paris. Vous participer aux fêtes, vous rencontrer des personnalités du monde artistique, aussi bien que des artistes qui ne sont pas des célébrités et des célébrités qui ne sont pas des artistes. Il est amusant de découvrir la vision qu'avaient les gens de cette époque de peintre comme Picasso ou Matisse, d'écrivain comme Hemingway ou Breton... Vous découvrez cette atmosphère fascinante de paris au temps des surréalistes à travers l’appareil photo de Man Ray. Bien que ce soit son autobiographie il n’est pas forcément le personnage le plus intéressant car il ne nous révèle pas vraiment les événements tels qu’il les a vécus mais plutôt tels qu'ils se sont déroulés. J’ai aimé découvrir le processus de création de ses œuvres, de quelle manière il a développées cette technique, ou quels éléments ont influencés son art. Ce qui m'a le plus surpris c'est qu'à aucun moment je ne me suis ennuyée, les actions se suivent les unes les autres jusqu’à former une vie complète.
En bref ce livre contient une quantité innombrable d'anecdote pour tous les passionnés d'art et d'histoire!

[Ekaterina Okuneva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Устала от 500 страниц, неймдроппинг сумасшедший. Хотя казалось бы, имя автора в принципе beats them all, и самолюбования в авторе достаточно. Ли Миллер реально не хватило, буквально 3 упоминания вскользь. Хемингуэя в книге и то было больше, а они даже не особо близко были знакомы.

[Kathabela Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing honest, creative book and life. I love his art and his vision. The edition I have is hardcover with lavish illustrations. The back cover of it is pictured in the painting of Rick by Gail Radice (I am shelving this on her birthday.) I have another copy a paperback that I lent to Just Kibbe who loves it too. I finished this in the sense of reading it, but I read the paperback, I need to look at all the pictures in this. And I will not ever really "finish" with it. Actually that is true of all the books I fall in love with.

[Nirvana Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about about Ray's process as an artist, all his adventures in lie as well as acquaintances with other big artists artists of the 20's, 30's, and 40's. I have a huge list of people to research now. I feel he did a good job getting his ideas and experienced across. What a memory! It is not an easy read, but it spans his life from 1915 until after WWII. That was another interesting part of the book, his position as an artist in France during the war where he had to go through a lot to get out of France. Very glad we read this book in my favorite #wynwoodbookclub

[Marieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read!

"The inevitable happend." (210)

"Reflecting on this, I thought that perhaps if there was no solution, then there had been no problem - it was simply a matter of cause and effect. Just as a night follows day." (245)

"Of course, there was the oft-repeated phrase: I don't know anything about art but I know what I like; meaning in reality, I like only what i know. The conclusion being, I'm afraid to like what I don't know - I may be wrong." (339)

[Blick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Man Ray's definition and promotion of himself, but he left out so many interesting historical episodes that I just bought a biography of him by Neil Baldwin. Was pleasantly surprised at how well Man Ray writes. The ending of his memoir builds like a powerful Dada shout-out.

[Dan Hennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided I'd stop hiding behind the star format and start writing some words on as many books as possible. As I just finished this one this felt like the best place to start!

Man Ray (perhaps the coolest name ever? I know it's a shortened version of his real name, but hey) is an interesting character - his major works are well, major. But I feel there is a lot about him that lingers on the obscure side. For one, it's evident from this book that he considers himself first and foremost a painter, his first love as he calls it, and a photographer second. Considering his fame is largely due to his photography (we've seen the images of the woman crying peculiarly shaped tears and Kiki de Montparnasse's back shaped with violin f-holes), this immediately intrigued me.

This is not an emotional biography - you won't get many insights into what goes on in his head. Where some autobiographies try to put you inside their creative/decision-making process or how they were feeling at certain moments in their life, this glosses over it. Even the invention of his iconic Rayograph is slightly downplayed. Blink, and it's possible you'll miss it. Perhaps this is just Man Ray's personality: he also appears less eccentric than a lot of the other Surrealists of the time. An argument could be that this gives the writing a slightly colder tone. Nevertheless, I never found this to be a dull or boring read, although some parts are certainly more interesting than others.

What you do get, is a fascinating onlookers-perspective account of the art world in the first half of the 20th century. The book never appears name-droppy, yet there are anecdotes and references to Erik Satie, Stravinsky, Picasso, Duchamp, Breton, Dali, and Max Ernst, among many others. If you want to feel like you're in the centre of Paris in the 1930s, up until the breakout of the Second World War (his escape during the invasion of France is especially an exciting part), this is perfect for you. The book is split up into locations, from New York to Paris to Hollywood, and it's clear that location bares a large influence on him. There are a lot of questions here that he quietly grapples with: the balance of making money and making art, balancing multiple artistic outputs in the public eye, experimentation, the role of the critic (he's not favourable) and fitting into scenes, him always being one foot outside of the Dada and Surrealist movements. All in all an entertaining read! I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, perhaps it's slightly too long, but if you think you might like it - you probably will.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expansive, illuminating, fascinating. An incredibly in depth look at his creative process for a huge body of work and movements from America to Paris and back again. I particularly enjoyed his story of escaping Paris during the Nazi occupation of France, not to mention his many meetings of the who’s who’s of the art and literary scene in the interwar period (my favourite era).

What I found particularly fascinating though was what was left out. Nothing was mentioned about his original name, Emmanuel Radnitzky. He had many lovers and relationships, many of which inspiring his creative process, and while some have entire chapters dedicated to ie Kiki (who sounds like an absolute riot) Lee Miller his assistant who I was told created the Rayograph with him, was barely mentioned only a few times. He makes it clear that this is a self portrait, and wants to portray himself in the best light possible. I think he never forgave Lee Miller for leaving him, painting this portrait the way he wants to be remembered.

It’s amusing to me that artists (particularly male ones) are always shy to admit the support a partner plays in their life’s work 😉

[Corey Bobco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very funny book full of anecdotes highlighting the peculiarities of many of the famous modernists and their friendships and squabbles (mainly around Andre Breton). Man Ray has a very deadpan sense of humor. He certainly fibs regarding his faults, but... as far as a literary and historical document detailing the life and times of people in the avantgarde art and literature scenes he was a part of, this is an indispensable document.

[Fiona Zakka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man Ray is indeed a true pioneer in painting and photography. To read the memories created throughout his lifelong journey through art is a good way to realize what is art and what is an artist. Among the many stories of his encounters with legends in all types of art we can get a feel
Of the artistic environment of the most important period in modern art. It is an informative and interesting read. I wish more artists tried to convey
Their thoughts and experiences through their autobiographies.

[Orly M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful gift to read these words. I've admired this artist for a long time, reading his life as put into paper by his pen was the greatest opportunity. Hidden in the pages of the book is the true story behind his famous epitaph, the many artistic chapters in his life and the lessons he chose valuable enough to publish. Beautiful edition with tons of photograph and images of his works.
"Unconcerned but not indifferent"

[Mahaley Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting life told by the artist himself. He keeps the stories short and runs through his life in moments, people, and experiences never harping on one thing too long. He introduces other famous characters such as Picasso, Dali, Lee Miller, Ava Gardner and much much more. It is interesting to see the transition of art through the years by the people who lived it.

[Kassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man Ray was a brilliant artist. I could have happily gone through life without learning that he was also an unrepentant wife-beater.

[The Aficionado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddball who knew how to express himself. I think his effect on surrealism was quite profound.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art. Dada. Surrealism. Photography. World War. Hollywood. A 20th century life. I wonder what kind of culture the turmoil of our current times will spawn . . .

[Simon Bate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man Ray is rather peeved that he is thought more of as a photographer than a painter but he gets around and meets everybody ...

[Susanne Helmert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised how little he writes about his girlfriends, especially Lee Miller who was his Muse and lover for four years.

[Iacopo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man Ray, n. m. synon. de Joie, jouer, jouir.
Marcel Duchamp

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give that many books five stars, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so there you have it. I liked Man Ray and his Art before reading his autobiography, but I like him even more now. This self-portrait reads like a diary, a travel journal, and gossip column all in one. He describes his thoughts and activities regarding art and photography, his journeys from New York to Paris to L.A. and back to Paris, the impact of the Second World War on his life and the lives of the other artists he knew, and the influence Paris and the people congregating there at the time had on each other, among other things. But the best part of this book, I thought, was his insight into Dadaism and Surrealism, his role in its development and the fun he and his group of friends had while creating an entire artistic movement by clowning around and thinking outside the box. By the end of his book, I'd gotten to know Man Ray better and I felt like he was one of those people I would have liked to have had for a friend. He was an incredibly intelligent, vastly creative and seriously funny person. And he took everything in stride and did what he did because he liked doing it.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Man Ray's book, I came to conclusion that he never forgave Lee Miller for ditching him.
He describes some hilarious and so funny episode involving an American writer with S&M tastes. He was asked by that man to baby sit a naked woman, chained to the banister at the Yankee chap's Parisian apartment. He took Lee Miller with him. They had a sumptuous dinner with wine, coffee and brandy to which they invited the slave to participate. Then they all played cards together. At the end of it, he chained naked woman again and placed plate with food bits, doggy style, to satisfy the American friend's requests, haha. He keeps referring to Miller as a young understudy, failing to mention they were live-in lovers. Man also quotes Miller saying she was not shocked by what she saw because "she met a man who liked to whip women - it was nothing new to her". This must be a swipe at Roland Penrose, whose favourite pastime was handcuffing his lovers for the night... LOL

[Adele Bsur · Rating 4 out of 5]

*PLEASE IGNORE*



Scrap note:

What is intriguing about this artist is that, unlike alot of artists, he doesn't pretend his art is something larger than life. He can produce work in less than an hour and, feeling satisfied, sell off the unfinished product. With no real idea of the workings of the market, so long as he claims the label of an artist, he has the confidence to do what he likes.

As Melanie said, there is no such thing as a bad female philosopher (or in this case, artist) because women who are even remotely acknowledged are pushed to work harder for recognition than men.

And yet this male artist, whose art has no meaning other than for his own personal interest, succeeds. I resent him a little

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was wonderful to read such personal insights into the characters and way of life of so many famous artistic and literary figures of the early twentieth century, to gain a new and informal snapshot of such celebrated personalities. These are often brief and obviously subjective, but is more than made up for by the immediacy of Man Ray's narration. He also gives a fascinating first-hand account of the invasion of France in 1940, and, of course, of the development of photography and film - the ad hoc, experimental approach to these mediums in the early years. Man Ray's voice is lively, enthusiastic, and never without a mischievous and subversive spirit.

[Tony Gieske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intimate look at artists of the 1930 such as his friends Marcel Duchamp. Gertrude Stein, Picabia and Joyce.
Rich selection of various techniques include over and under exposure, shooting through fabric, superimposing images, and zeroing in on tiny details. Photographs are divided into general subjects, female figures (mainly nudes); women's faces (including Gertrude Stein); celebrity portraits (Dali, Derain,Matisse, Picasso, and others); and rayographs, cameraless compositions....

[Nina J. Kors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una vita straordinaria di un artista poco conosciuto: nel dopo guerra girava con la sua spider per la Francia. Conosceva e frequentava Utrillo, Picasso, Dalì, Jameds Joyce... le loro storie e i loro amori.

Era una grande mente, molto più avanti lui 100 anni fa, di noi adesso.
Avercene di uomini così...

[Phil Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read, both in terms of his life and also from a historical perspective.

He documents eloquently his experience of being involved with some of the most influential artists of the 20th century such as Picasso and Duchamp. His writing about his experience of occupied France is particularly informative.

Highly recommend to anyone with an interest in either Man Ray or 20th century art.

[Dana Gynther]

A fun memoir mainly focusing on his life in Paris in the 20s-30s, including all his experiences with all his famous friends and acquaintances. Anyone interested in art and literature during the inter-war period would find it fascinating.