“It has never been my object to record my dreams, just the determination to realize them.”
— Man Ray, April 1945.
Man Ray, 16 June 1934. Carl Van Vechten (1880–1964)
Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky, August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American artist.
Man Ray spent a lot of time making artwork in Paris, France. He is recognized today for his contributions to both the Dada and Surrealist artistic movements.
Although he made artwork in many different types of media, he considered himself a painter first. He is well-known today for his avant-garde photography. During his time he was a popular fashion and portrait photographer.
He is most well-known for his “rayographs” or photograms. A photogram is a image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material (such as photographic paper) and then exposing it to light.
Fotogramm mit Laborutensilien. Spolloman. 2004.
Show What You Know
- You can make your own “photogram” using the instructions below:
- Find a piece of colored construction paper.
- Find some small objects and place them on top of the paper.
- Place the paper with objects on top near a sunny window.
- Leave them there for a few days and wait for the paper to fade.
- Remove the objects… and Voila!
You just created your own photogram in honor of Man Ray!
Happy Birthday Man Ray!