The power of Man Ray: photographer, artist, visionary

It seems unlikely that Michael Emmanuel Radnitzky – born in 1890 in Philadelphia, but a Parisian by inclination – would have achieved quite the same name recognition had he not adopted the tag Man Ray. He might, though, have still hobnobbed with both Duchamp and the surrealists, taken portraits of Europe's art elite and then Hollywood stars and, along the way, had a famous relationship with Lee Miller and helped establish photography as a legitimate and powerful artistic medium (even if he remained unconvinced of that). He was 20th century art's de facto official photographer – particularly of the creative swirl, nodes and networks of Paris between the wars – but as active participant rather than neutral outsider.
Ray had started out as painter and collaborated with Duchamp in New York before decamping to Paris in 1921. There, in a series of remarkable portraits and sort-of-still-lives, and using extreme crops, props, photomontage and experimental lighting and printing (particularly with his X-ray-like 'rayographs' of found objects), he took photography to new places. He shot Duchamp, Hemingway, Schoenberg, Joyce, Picasso, Peggy Guggenheim, Cocteau, Stravinsky, Matisse, Magritte, Miro, Dali, Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Virginia Wolf, Le Corbusier, Ava Gardner, Catherine Deneuve and – an iconic and enduring series and subset – the dazzling and thoroughly modern Ms Miller. He died in Paris in 1976, aged 86.
Incidentally, William Wegman, in tribute, named the first and most famous of his weimaraners Man Ray. Look out for much more on him in our October issue.
Born Michael Emmanuel Radnitzky in Philadelphia in 1890 (but a Parisian by inclination), it seems unlikely that he would have achieved quite the same name recognition had he not adopted the ubiquitous tag. Pictured: Involute, 1917. Photography: Antonio Reeve. Courtesy of National Galleries of Scotland
Man Ray hobnobbed with both Duchamp and the surrealists, took portraits of Europe's art elite and then Hollywood stars, and helped establish photography as a legitimate and powerful artistic medium (even if he remained unconvinced of that). Pictures: La Volière [Aviary], 1919. Photography: Antonio Reeve. Courtesy of National Galleries of Scotland
He was 20th century art's de facto official photographer…. Pictured: 'Man Ray/Lee Miller: partners in surrealism' exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, MA. Photography: Kathy Tarantola for the Peabody Essex Museum
… but as active participant rather than neutral outsider. Pictured: 'Man Ray/Lee Miller: partners in surrealism' exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, MA. Photography: Kathy Tarantola for the Peabody Essex Museum
Man Ray died in Paris in 1976, aged 86 – though his name lives on not only in his art, but as the moniker of William Wegman's first weimaraner. Pictured: Gold Lips, produced after 1933, on view at the 'Man Ray/Lee Miller: partners in surrealism' exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, MA. Photography: Kathy Tarantola for the Peabody Essex Museum
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Rachel Whiteread creates silver collection for Puiforcat inspired by corrugated cardboard
The Turner Prize-winning artist reinterprets imperfection in a new silverware collection with French maison Puiforcat
-
Meet Malak Mattar, the Palestinian artist behind the 'Together for Palestine' concert at London's Wembley Arena
The London-based artist curates a landmark concert of music and art in support of Gaza, alongside Brian Eno, James Blake, Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and more
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasure
The Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways