Man Ray

Man Ray was an American visual artist, active mainly in Paris, who was a central figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements and one of the most innovative photographers of the twentieth century. He is especially known for rayographs, photographic images made by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper without a camera, and for solarization, a darkroom technique that partially reverses tones to create a haloed effect, both of which he used to blur the line between photography and abstract art. Beyond photography, Man Ray worked across painting, filmmaking, and sculptural objects, including the assemblage Cadeau, an iron studded with metal tacks that became an iconic Dada readymade.