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.
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