Out of all his accomplishments, Man Ray's most impressive and most important was his ability to stay with a single, clear knowledge of exactly what kind of art he wanted to create. I was very impressed by his ability to bend all media he used into fitting in with his dada-esque vision. Man Ray's dedication to a single idea made me question my own dedication to what I like. Though I wish I had a single ideal to be devoted to like Man Ray, there is nothing I have ever felt so strongly for.
I was also interested by how hard Man Ray took criticism. In spite of being quite a high-achieving artist, he left New York for the rest of his life when his art was not accepted, saying "Dada cannot live in new york. New york is dada." Nowadays, it would be seen as silly to leave behind such an art "hub" and journey to a place whose language you did not even speak, just because your art was having a hard time breaking into the public.
In addition, I was amazed at what a big influence Man Ray's various liaisons and romances had on his art, and the fact that many of his partners were artists as well. I think that they had a lot to do with how Man Ray's media and symbols of choice changed over time.
Man Ray was a fearless artist, charging into every media that came his way with the bravado that comes from having something you love.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Man Ray- notes
variety of media, mysterious past; emmanuel redinsky, father a tailor an immigrant from russia
artist in high school, went to art college, scandalized family, moved to manhattan
Met alfred stieglitz, photographer and art dealer, who promoted new ideas in art
Moved on to other styles; cubist and expressionist, took influences from other artists after seeing Nude Decending a Staircase
joined community of artists hoping to practice art undisturbed, marries adon la croix; pubished Richfield Gadzook, visited by Marcel Duschamp
Returned to New York, divorced Adon
Dada starts in Zurich, people such as Tristan Tzara want to liberate art from all restrictions
Man Ray and others form a group promoting Dada, are met with confusion "make something useful useless", discouraged by lack of response, writes "Dada cannot live in new york. New york is dada, and will not tolerate arrival" and moves to Paris, where he meets friends of Duchamp, shoots portrait of Pruce on his deathbed. Joins group promoting all arts, not just painting
Temporarily abandons painting and turn to photography, takes portraits of very influential people, creates rayographs--> avant garde filmmaking
Meets Kiki, incarnation of Paris, together four years
Meets Lee Miller, live together, she leaves him, he makes "observatory time"
takes up fashion photography, turns it into art
interested by process of creation
begins relationship with guadelupan dancer
moves back to america, closes studio in fear of war, meets Juliette Browner
painting his first love, took up photography just to make a living?
artist in high school, went to art college, scandalized family, moved to manhattan
Met alfred stieglitz, photographer and art dealer, who promoted new ideas in art
Moved on to other styles; cubist and expressionist, took influences from other artists after seeing Nude Decending a Staircase
joined community of artists hoping to practice art undisturbed, marries adon la croix; pubished Richfield Gadzook, visited by Marcel Duschamp
Returned to New York, divorced Adon
Dada starts in Zurich, people such as Tristan Tzara want to liberate art from all restrictions
Man Ray and others form a group promoting Dada, are met with confusion "make something useful useless", discouraged by lack of response, writes "Dada cannot live in new york. New york is dada, and will not tolerate arrival" and moves to Paris, where he meets friends of Duchamp, shoots portrait of Pruce on his deathbed. Joins group promoting all arts, not just painting
Temporarily abandons painting and turn to photography, takes portraits of very influential people, creates rayographs--> avant garde filmmaking
Meets Kiki, incarnation of Paris, together four years
Meets Lee Miller, live together, she leaves him, he makes "observatory time"
takes up fashion photography, turns it into art
interested by process of creation
begins relationship with guadelupan dancer
moves back to america, closes studio in fear of war, meets Juliette Browner
painting his first love, took up photography just to make a living?
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