The Marconi Foundation is pleased to present an exhibition by Man Ray aiming at giving an overall view on his photographic work with a seleciton of 60 photographs, among which portraits, nudes, fashion shots, rayographs, the Femmes portfolio and the series Mode au Congo, that the artist created from the Twenties to the Fifties.
A surrealist artist, photographer and poet: Man Ray was one of the most important protagonists of Twentieth century art scene. In the Twenties he started to experiment with photography, and discovered a new way to create interesting images by accident in his darkroom.
Called "rayographs," these photos were made by placing and manipulating objects (like a revolver, a key, a comb, a funnel...) on pieces of photosensitive paper.
By reinventing photography Man Ray has produced a prolific and eclectic artistic oeuvre.
The images from the Femmes portfolio, which Studio Marconi published in 1981 after receiving authorization and verification from Man Ray’s wife Juliet, depict women in fascinating and elegant poses, either in full or half-length portraits, or with the focus on the face or head – the part which Man Ray claimed was the total, sensual synthesis of the body’s identity.
The series Mode au Congo came about in 1937, when Man Ray was asked to photograph hats. The artist-photographer agreed on condition that he could choose the headgear.
From this, the idea came to him to photograph his models wearing everyday objects on their heads, such as a bread basket, a doily and a feather duster, and also imaginative creations of a type of beret, crown or jester hat, decorated with beads or shells. The result is particularly original because, although the photos follow a strict code in the models deliberately haughty and sophisticated poses, they expose their author’s subtle irony.
