In Focus: Man Ray: Photographs From the J. Paul Getty Museum

by Katherine Ware

During a career that spanned more than fifty years, two continents, and work in many media, Man Ray (1890-1976) produced a large body of photographic images that continue to command our attention. This volume presents his early work in New York in the 1910s, selections from his sizeable Paris oeuvre in the 20s, 30s, and 50s, and photographs taken during his time in Hollywood in the 40s. Though in later years he expressed a desire to be remembered as a painter, Man Ray continued to work with photography throughout his life, pushing the boundaries of the medium with cameraless images, solarized portraits, and other innovations.

The Getty Museum's collection of three hundred works by Man Ray includes vintage prints from the 1910s through the 1960s. This volume presents more than fifty photographs, with commentary on each image by Katherine Ware, assistant curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. The volume also includes an overview of his life and the edited transcript of a symposium on his career.

Genres: Photography, Art

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 1999

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Man Ray is a subtle chemist of mysteries who sleeps with the metrical fairies of spirals and steel wool. He invents a new world and photographs it to prove that it exists."

"Man Ray treated the camera as he treated the paintbrush, a mere instrument in the service of the mind."

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book on Man Ray's photography. Books from the Getty Museum tend to be very high quality.