Emmanuel Radnitzky (Parents: Melach “Max” Radnitzky and Manya “Minnie” Lourie; Siblings: One brother and two sisters; Spouses: Adon Lacroix, Juliet Browner)

Man Ray (1890–1976) was a significant American visual artist who spent most of his career in France. A multifaceted creator, he was a crucial figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements, though he considered himself a painter above all else.

Born Emmanuel Radnitzky to a family of Jewish immigrants, his family changed their surname to “Ray” in 1912 to avoid anti-Semitism, and Emmanuel became “Man.” After declining a scholarship to study architecture, he pursued painting in New York. His friendship with Marcel Duchamp led to the formation of the American branch of the Dada movement.

In 1921, Man Ray moved to Paris, settling in the Montparnasse quarter. It was here that he revolutionized photography, despite having no formal training in the medium. He popularized the “Rayograph” (photograms)—images made by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light. He also explored solarization, a process that reverses the tones of a photograph, creating a halo-like outline around subjects.

His photography bridged the gap between commercial fashion and fine art. He captured iconic portraits of the Parisian avant-garde, including James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Jean Cocteau. His most famous work, Le Violon d’Ingres (1924), superimposed f-holes onto the back of his model and lover, Kiki de Montparnasse, transforming the human body into a musical instrument—a quintessential Surrealist gesture.

During World War II, Man Ray returned to the United States, living in Los Angeles, but he felt unappreciated by the American art scene. He returned to his beloved Paris in 1951, where he continued to paint and experiment until his death in 1976. His epitaph reads: “Unconcerned, but not indifferent.”

Active in others filds : Experimental Filmmaking, Fashion Photography, Sculpture (Objects of Affection), Painting.