Man Ray 1922 Silver-Gelatin Rayograph from "Les champs délicieux"
Item Details
Man Ray (American; 1890-1976)
Untitled, 1922
Silver-gelatin rayograph on photographic paper
From the Les Champs délicieux series
Published by Man Ray, 31bis, Rue Campagne Première, Paris
Inscriptions to the verso
An untitled silver-gelatin rayograph on photographic paper, created in 1922 by famed Dadaist and Surrealist Man Ray (1890-1976). From the artist’s 1922 book of his collected rayographs titled Les Champs délicieux (The Delightful Fields), this rayograph features an abstract design of various silhouetted objects. Marked to the verso is a studio credit stamp that reads ‘MAN RAY / 31bis, Rue / Campagne / Première / PARIS’ [Manford M2]. Several annotations are present to the verso, some of which read ‘2’ and ‘Aus due Champs délicieux’. This work remains unmounted and unframed.
Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray adopted his professional pseudonym as early as 1909. Working in a variety of media, he became a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements. He is especially known for his photograms, which he called “rayographs”. He participated in intellectual circles that included Gertrude Stein, Marcel Duchamp, and James Joyce, among others. Significantly, Man Ray was included in the first Surrealist exhibition that was held at the Galerie Pierre in 1925 among other renowned Surrealist artists such as Jean Arp, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró. His work has been represented by numerous art institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Guggenheim Museum, to name a few.
Beginning in 1921, the artist produced his “rayographs” without a camera by placing everyday objects directly onto photosensitized paper, then exposing it to light. This process particularly appealed to Man Ray because it transformed everyday items into ambiguous basic forms and shadows, eliminating tactile and textural features. Resulting in images that wavered the line of abstract and representational, his rayographs brought his photographic work into the avant-garde realm of art.
Condition
- to fair; silvering and discoloration throughout; curling; loss and creases along edges, especially lower right corner.
Dimensions
Item #
18DCC083-096
