Man Ray (1890–1976) is one of the outstanding representatives of dadaism and surrealism and regarded as avant-garde initiator for modern photography and film history in the 20th century. The photographer, painter and object artist is especially renowned for his numerous staged photographic portrayals of contemporary artists during the heyday of the 1920s/30s artistic and literary life in Paris.

Early on, he seeks to preserve autonomy in his urge for artistic creation. By extending the aesthetic of the photographic medium through photograms (Rayographs), solarisation and multiple exposures, he raises them to the artistic sphere and later on integrates the newly resulting inspirations in his paintings.

Man Ray’s portfolio Femmes comprises in total 26 prints from the original negatives of 1933, printed in 1981 by Mario Carrieri Studio, Milan.

The external observing gaze of the photographer and the absorbed look of the women photographed in 1933 place Man Ray and his models in a multilayered and ambiguous mesh of the codependent subject-object relationship.

Behind the usual meaning of a perceived emphasis and focus on eroticism lie nuanced captured facial expressions and gestures that resist a purely sensual availability, establish an impressive sovereignty, and do not limit themselves to beauty alone.

The variations with props and poses, as well as Man Ray’s use of solarization create additional alienation effects as visual correspondences of an insoluble residuum, an enigma.

Man Ray
Femmes, 1933/81
Portfolio of 26 prints from the original negatives on Argenta paper, Brom type 138 each 29,8 x 22 cm/ 11.7” x 8.7”; 36 x 28 cm framed/ 14.2” x 11” framed Edition: 35 + 5 H.C., copy: 3/5 H.C.
Ed. by Studio Marconi, printed by Mario Carrieri Studio, Milan, authorized and verified by Juliet Man Ray
Price on request

From June 24 – 26, 2022 as part of Strike A Pose, Festival of Art, Fashion and Style the following additional program will take place:
Man Ray / Elsa Schiaparelli
May 24 – 26 screening 'Elsa Schiaparelli - Fashion is Art', 2019 (25 mins.).
Saturday, May 25, 2:30 p.m. Linda Conze (Curator & Head of the Photography Department, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf) in conversation with Linn Lühn