Man Ray: Women

Man Ray found the surreal in the commonplace, particularly in the female form, and this has made his photography some of the world’s most accessible and his ubiquitous La Violin d’Ingres creates a cello from a woman’s torso with the addition of curliqued vents inked on her sides; his classic image of shining cinematic tears glistening on a powdered cheek has been tucked into mirror frames all over the world. This collection of more than 130 pictures dated between 1920 and 1950 covers not only Ray’s work as one of the world’s leading avant-garde artists–he was a tireless experimenter who participated in the Cubist, Dadaist and Surrealist art movements–but also his commercial work. It includes fashion photography and advertising images; portraits of many artists, including Marcel Proust, Marcel Duchamp and Andre Breton; and a portfolio of 26 Femmes. Art dealer Giorgio Marconi, who met May Ray in 1966 in Milan, contributes an insightful interview.