As one of the cornerstones of the Avant-Garde, Dada-Surrealist and Modernist Movements, Man Ray is probably best known for his painting, A L’Heure de L’Observatoire – Les Amoureux (Observatory Time – The Lovers) – which you can see in the photo above, as well as his experimental photography.
But like many artists, very little is actually heard from them – few, if any interviews with artists from this period of time (post-World War 1), and certainly representing this Movement were given.
So this recording is something of a rarity – more of an audio autobiography than an interview. Man Ray talking about Man Ray and the world in which he lived and the art which he created.
Since Man Ray died in 1976, it’s presumed this interview/audio auto-biography took place somewhere in the late 1960s/early 1970s, and I believe it was done originally in conjunction with an exhibition of his works being put on at one of the major museums.
No doubt you’ve seen the famous painting and the Photography probably wondered who was behind it.
Here he is. So now you know.
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Very inspiring. Thank you for posting. It reminded of a time in 1972 when I considered renting an apartment at a building called the Villa Elaine at 1245 Vine St. in Hollywood. It was the last apartment on the right and you entered from a densely landscaped courtyard into a 2-story living room with a stairway the the upstairs. It was a very stimulating environment and unilke anything apartment I had ever seen in my 21 years at the time. The element on Vine was a deterrent, even in 1972, so I passed. Years later, I learned that this is the building that Man Ray lived in and very likely the exact same apartment, number 10.
Thanks for sharing that.
G.S.
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