Man Ray Portraits - a review of the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, London

A version of this review appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, March 15th 2013.

Man Ray Portraits 

review by Nigel Warburton

(NPG until 27th May 2013)

Although he thought of himself as a painter, posterity celebrates Man Ray (1890-1976) as a creator of Dadaist objects and as an experimental photographer. Yet for much of his early life he worked more prosaically as a studio portraitist, photographing his contemporaries on commission. His interest in photography ebbed and flowed over a career that lasted five decades and as he moved back and forth across the Atlantic, but he nevertheless bequeathed an impressive portfolio of portraits of the artistic, musical, and literary avant garde, many of which are included in this National Portrait Gallery exhibition, the first to show the full range of his portraiture. In this chronologically arranged parade of stars Marcel Duchamp, Henri Matisse, Picasso, Braques, Salvador Dali, Ernest Hemmingway, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Eric Satie, Stravinsky, Bernice Abbott, Lee Miller, and even Catherine Deneuve all feature. Portraits of the famous are interspersed with those of more obscure contemporaries and friends, together with nudes, fashion photography, and self-portraits. The 150 or so prints, mostly vintage, are simply framed, minimally captioned, and presented in 5 rooms that tell the story of Man Ray’s periginations: ‘New York 1916-20’, ‘Paris 1921-8’, ‘Paris 1929-1937’, ‘Hollywood 1940-50’, and ‘Paris 1951 – Later Years’.

Man Ray loved women. No one visiting this exhibition could fail to realize that. In his experimental, affectionate and erotically-charged portraits of lovers, his artistry and originality are unmistakable. His portraits of men, in contrast, are more formal, less inspired, frequently cold, and occasionally stiff: their main interest lies in their sitters’ subsequent fame. Few fulfill the photographic promise of his early portrait of his friend Marcel Duchamp in a wicker chair (1916) – a remarkable image by any standards that would still hold our interest had Duchamp remained an unknown.

There are previously unseen portraits on display here, and visual discoveries to be made by those prepared to jostle and move in close enough to appreciate the smaller prints, but it is the familiar and iconic images that stand out, enhanced by juxtaposition with other photographs of the same sitters. Although the ‘Violon d’Ingres’ (1924), that picture of Kiki de Montparnasse’s naked back with the ‘f’ holes of a violin superimposed, is now a cliché (and scarcely a portrait), its presentation here alongside others of Kiki allows us to see it as of a specific spirited individual rather than of ‘a woman’s back’.  The title doesn’t simply allude to the woman-into-violin Surrealist joke, or to the pose and patterned turban reminiscent of an Ingres nude, but also to Ingres’s habit of playing the violin to visitors to his studio: from this ‘violon d’Ingres’ came to mean any favourite pastime for which the person in question was less known, a second string to one’s bow, as it were. Man Ray’s ‘Violon d’Ingres’ combines a visual, an art historical, and a linguistic pun, and, perhaps, too, a more private message about his relationship with Kiki, and with women in general – a literal objectification, woman as instrument. As Marina Warner points out in the exhibition catalogue, the 1920s were unenlightened times, and the notion that women might become playthings for men a given. Yet Man Ray’s attitude to representing women was more complex than many, driven as it was by Surrealist notions of Eros and a willingness to explore the near dream imagery of desire and fantasy.

 In another familiar photograph, ‘Noire et Blanche’,  which is of Kiki with her head resting on a table next to the African mask which she props up with her hand, her pose as if asleep, is reminiscent of, and possibly inspired by, Brancusi’s sculpture ‘Sleeping Muse’.  Originally captioned ‘Visage de nacre et masque d’ébène’ (mother of pearl face and ebony mask), it first appeared in Vogue in May 1926. In the exhibition it is displayed near a less familiar variant from the series in which Kiki stands cradling the mask against her cheek. Also in the exhibition – and easily missed -  is a small and intimate portrait of Adrienne Fedelin (‘Ady’), Man Ray’s later companion. Ady was a dancer from Guadelope, and hers is one of the few non-white faces included. In this snapshot-like photograph from 1937 she is standing in a dressing gown, smiling, facing the camera, her hand resting on a white bust of Man Ray’s head echoing Kiki’s in ‘Noire et Blanche’. The naturalness of Ady’s smile contrasts with the controlled closed-lipped pose of almost every other woman depicted, reminding us of the degree to which Man Ray directed his sitters and controlled their poses.

The highlight of the exhibition is a remarkable solarized portrait of Lee Miller in profile from 1929 which has the calm beauty of a Renaissance painting by Baldovinetti that hangs a few hundred yards away in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery. Miller was Man Ray’s assistant, lover and model, before leaving him to become a photographer and journalist, subsequently working on the frontline in the Second World War, and documenting the liberation of Dachau. The serenity of the Miller portrait belies their tempestuous three-year relationship that, when it ended, left Man Ray with a suicidal energy that he eventually re-chanelled into his art: Lee Miller was the inspiration for ‘Indestructible Object’, the famous metronome with a photograph of an eye attached to its arm, that the viewer was encouraged to attempt to destroy.

Man Ray left Paris for the States in 1940, settling in Hollywood with his new partner Juliet.  There he made portraits of film stars, including Ava Gardner,, before returning to Paris in 1951 where he continued to photograph until the late 1960s.  But as this rich and varied exhibition reveals, it was in the artistic crucible of Paris in the 1920s and 30s in the Golden Age of Surrealism, living among the artists, writers and composers who were to become the founders of modernism, that he reached his apogee as a portraitist. [ends]

[Read some other reviews of the exhibition here]

Comments

[mature women naked pic]

Genuinely no matter if someone doesn't know afterward its up to other users that they will assist, so here it happens.

[Check Out The Post Right Here]

Everyone hot tubs kansas city meets up in the trunk or anywhere on the body are much reduced. You might choose which types work as the very best strategy is changing it every two a few a few a hot tubs kansas city few a few several weeks. Hot tubs are no more considered as an item for luxury but are looked upon as a complete package that can offer them complete solutions in swim spas and also offer therapeutic benefits.

[Photography As A Career]

you're really a excellent webmaster. The website loading velocity is incredible. It sort of feels that you're doing any unique trick. Also, The contents are masterwork. you have done a wonderful task in this topic!

[Vintage Teens]

Hi there, I discovered your web site by way of Google even as looking for a comparable matter, your web site got here up, it seems to be great. I've bookmarked it in my google bookmarks. Hello there, simply become aware of your weblog thru Google, and located that it is really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I'll appreciate in case you proceed this in future. A lot of folks might be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

[microwave ovens]

Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it's truly informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this in future. Numerous people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

[www.loftbedsgiant.com]

Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this informative article together. I once again find myself pedrsonally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. Butt so what, it was still worth it!

[www.coffeetablesdepot.com]

I wanted to thasnk you for this great read!! I certainly enjoyeed every bit of it. I have you book-marked to look at new stuff yoou post…

[http://www.allthebestvacuumcleaners.com/]

Thanks for the marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you can be a great author. I will ensure that I bookmark your bllog and will often come back from now on. I want to encourage that you continue your great job, have a nice afternoon!

[thebestcarpetcleaningmachines.com]

Hey very cool site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I wikl bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally? I'm satisfied to find a lot of useful info here within the publish, we'd like develop more techniques on this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

[tv stands]

Way cool! Somee extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning his article plus the rest of the website is also really good.

[tv stands for flat screens]

Good day! I know this iis kinda off topic however , I'd figured I'd ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog postt or vice-versa? My site goes over a lot of the same subjects as youurs and I believe we could greatly benefit from eaach other. If you happen to be interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward tto hearing from you! Fantastiic blog by the way!

[http://www.ceilingfansgiant.com/ceiling-fans-with-lights]

Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you sayy is fundamental and everything. However imagine if you added some great pictures or video clipps to give your posts more, "pop"! Yourr content is excellent but with images and video clips, this website could undeniably bbe one of the vey best in its field. Awesome blog!

[www.coffeemakersadvisor.com]

This post will help the internet visitors for setting up new blog or even a blog frlm start to end.

[bathroom cabinets and vanities]

We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scdheme in our community. Your website offered uss with valuable information to work on. You have done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.

[bunk beds]

Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed tto be on the webb the easiest thing to be aware of. I saay to you, I definitely get irked while people think about worries that they just do not know about. Youu managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out tthe whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will likely bee back to get more. Thanks

[http://Www.computerdesksgiant.com]

Great post. I'm experiencing a few of these issues as well..

[dining room sets]

Wow, this article is fastidious, my younger sister is analyzing these kinds of things, thus I am going to convey her.

[http://www.allthebunkbeds.com]

When someone wriutes an article he/she maintains the plan of a user in his/her brain that how a user can be aware of it. Thus that's why this article is great. Thanks!

[swing sets]

I rarely drop remarks, however i did a few searching and wound up here art and allusion: Man Ray Porrtraits - a review of the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, London. And I do have 2 questions for you if you don't mind. Could it be just me or does it give the impression like some of the comments appear like they are left by brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are posting on other sites, I'd like to follow everything fres you have to post. Could you make a list of all oof all your communal pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

[Hosea]

Good day I am so delighted I found your weblog, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Askjeeve for something else, Nonetheless I am here noow annd would just liike to say cheers for a remarkable post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but Ihave saved it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to rsad much more, Please do keep up the fantastic work.

[www.repeteurwifi.fr]

It's going to be ending of mine day, except before ending I am reading this enormous paragraph to improve my knowledge.

[montre festina homme]

Hmm it seems like your site atte my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I had written and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog. I tooo am an aspiring blog writer but I'm still new to the whole thing. Do you have any suggestions for newbie blog writers? I'd genuinely appreciate it.

[www.smartphonepascher.org]

Ridiculous quest there.What happened after? Thanks!

[pcportablepascher.fr]

Hey There. I discovered your blog using msn. That is a very well written article. I'll be sure to bookmark it and come back to learn more of your useful information. Thank you for the post. I'll definitely comeback.

[imprimante multifonction]

Stunning story there. What occurred after? Good luck!