Man Ray and New York Dada

Abstract

This statement by the American-born artist, Man Ray, provides a key to the understanding of a body of material which, to several critics at least, appears uneven and inconsistent with respect to artistic sensibility.2 Beneath the surface of these remarks lies Man Ray's fundamental Dada orientation, just as, beneath the simple and deceptive surfaces of his paintings, lie many complex enigmas and paradoxes. Such qualities first appear in Ray's work during the 1910's, a period which witnessed his gradual liberation from the academic tradition in which he was trained, and during which he first associated with Marcel Duchamp with whom he has formed a lasting friendship.3 In addition, Ray's work during this decade provides an illuminating aspect of New York Dada, one of the important, but “unofficial” phases of the sprawling and hectic international movement.4