Rayograph
- Rayograph
Sheet: 9 7/16 × 7 1/16 in. (24 × 18 cm)
Mount: 13 7/8 × 10 9/16 in. (35.2 × 26.8 cm)
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An American in Paris beginning in 1921, Man Ray moved in the Surrealists’ circle and produced paintings, sculptures, drawings, films, and photographs that stretched the limits of his materials. Although he supported himself as a portrait photographer, in other work, he pushed the medium beyond its traditional role of recording reality, most notably in his cameraless photograms, or “rayographs,” as he called them. In fact, the technique of placing objects directly on sensitized paper and exposing them to light was as old as photography itself, but rather than precise records of an object’s form, Man Ray’s rayographs—in characteristic Surrealist fashion—were unpredictable and unrepeatable, unrecognizable and abstract.
ProvenanceThe artist; acquired by private collector, Paris, 1920s; purchased by Frank Kolodny, late 1970s; [Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, 1985]; John Waddell; [Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, 1986]; purchased by MFAH, 1986.
Exhibition History"American Photography: A History in Pictures," San Antonio Museum of Art, April 21–July 31, 1994.
"Photographic Masterworks: Recent Acquisitions from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Glassell School, January 23–March 4, 1990.
"A Love Affair with Pictures: 25 Years of Collecting Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 14–December 30, 2001.
"Man Ray's photography in the surrealist's Paris," Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, Germany, September 15–December 8, 2013.
“Shadows on the Wall: Cameraless Photography from 1851 to Today,” Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, August 31–November 30, 2014.
"The Marzio Years: Transforming the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982–2010," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 25, 2020–January 10, 2021.
Published References Man Ray - Fotograf im Paris der Surrealisten. Edited by Achim Sommer, Patrick Blümel, and Jürgen Pech. Brühl des LVR: Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR, 2013. Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, shown at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR. Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
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