Jean paul fargier man ray biography photographs

All New York is Dada, and will not tolerate a rival. In , the family moved to Brooklyn, New York and changed their surname to Ray in , in response to the anti-Semitism prevalent at the time. Best known for his pioneering photography but prolific in a variety of media, Man Ray would become a major contributor to Dadaism and Surrealism. Ray was inspired and began a lifelong friendship with Duchamp.

This was also the beginning of his involvement in the Dada movement. Abandoning conventional painting, he started to make objects and to develop unique mechanical and photographic image-making methods. His works began to depict the movement of figures and he also explored the making of ready-mades. Another influence was Alfred Stieglitz, who introduced Ray to the medium of photography, which led to a new field of experimentation.

Shortly after settling in the Montparnasse district in Paris in , Ray had his first solo exhibition in Paris. Back at the gallery he glued a row of tacks to the smooth surface of the iron, titled it The Gift , and added it to the exhibition. It was the first Dada object he made in France.

Man Ray is most remembered for his enigmatic Dada and Surrealist photographs, but has also created iconic paintings and sculptures.

When the Second World War broke out, Ray returned to the United States and settled in Hollywood, where many expatriate artists found a new home. He spent 10 years working in Hollywood as a fashion photographer and contributed his unique vision to that field, becoming very successful. The last 25 years of his life were spent there creating paintings, photographs, films and sculptures.

He died at the age of 86 on November 18, , leaving behind a legacy of revolutionary avant-garde artworks that changed the face of photography forever.