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Man Ray, Objects 1916-1921 : the Role of Aesthetics in the Art of Idea

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Man Ray, Objects 1916-1921 : the Role of Aesthetics in the Art of Idea RICE UNIVERSITY MAN RAY: OBJECTS 1916-1921 THE ROLE OF AESTHETICS IN THE ART OF IDEA by SHANNON HALWES A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS APPROVED, THESIS COMMITTEE Dr. William A. Camfield, Professor Director Department of Art and Art History / ^7 Dr. Walter M. Widrig, Associate Professor Department of Art and Art History Assistant Professor Department of Art and Art History Houston, Texas May, 1990 3 1272 00637 7426 Copyright Shannon Halwes 1990 Abstract Man Ray: Objects 1916-1921 The Role of Aesthetics in the Art of Idea Shannon Lea Halwes This thesis concerns the object in the work of Man Ray from 1916-1921, his New York Period. The object, which grew out of Marcel Duchamp's invention of the readymade, was developed early on by both Duchamp and Man Ray. The conceptual aspects of the object, infamous for its inclusion of everyday, non-art materials and for its assertion of the will of the artist over craftsmanship, have long been recognized. The aesthetic aspects of this new art, beyond the ramifications of the chosen media in regard to traditional concepts of beauty, have been less of a concern for art historians and critics. This thesis studies the varying extent of Man Ray's interest in aesthetics as can be seen in his objects. In analyzing the aesthetic qualities of these objects his connection to the art of his time becomes more apparent, important differences between his work and that of Duchamp are discovered, and the role played by the photography and editions of Man Ray's objects in the formation and the viewer's perception of the work is revealed. The blend of formal and conceptual concerns in Man Ray's object making shows that there is a place for aesthetics in the art of idea. Acknowledgements This thesis has been the product of the support and assistance of many long- suffering friends, relatives, and colleagues. Almost no one known to me escaped, and you have my deepest gratitude. I would especially like to thank those who were forced to read this lengthy essay, often more than once, for their friendly and infinitely helpful critcism: Elizabeth Blocher, Allison Leach, Emily Ballew Neff, Dr. Christopher Parslow, Susanna Sheffield, and Dr. Walter Widrig. Thanks to Gregory Burbridge and Anne Nixon for thier support thoughout this project and their help in making it look right. To Arturo Schwarz and Juliet Man Ray for a glimpse at who Man Ray was. To Francis Naumann and Gerome Gold for providing information, suggestions, and answers to questions at odd hours of the day and night. Special thanks to my mother, Adaire Fisher, who tried to make me a better writer and who provided love and support that helped me survive the last three years. And to Dr. William Camfield who was eternally generous with advice, criticism, suggestions, contacts, leads, books, catalogues, files, phone numbers, answers, questions, and most important of all encouragement to write clearer, think harder, and look closer. Contents Illustrations ii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Man Ray was born one no longer knows where 8 Chapter 2 As different as the collages of Picasso and Braque 30 Chapter 3 Photography can be art 49 Chapter 4 It is divine to create and human to make editions 57 Chapter 5 Plastic poems 63 Tapestry 65 Boardwalk 74 New York 1917 79 By Itself, I & II 83 Man 89 Woman 93 Lampshade 96 Catherine Barometer 103 Compass 107 Eighth Street 109 The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse Ill L'Inquiétude 119 New York 1920 124 Obstruction 127 Portmanteau 131 Presse-Papier à Priape 135 Puériculture 138 Trans Atlantique 143 Conclusion 147 Bibliography 1 149 Illustrations I. Man Ray: Portrait of Alfred Stieglitz, 1913. Oil on canvas; The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Alfred Stieglitz Collection, Yale University Library, New Haven. Z Man Ray: Man Ray, 1914. Oil on Board; Lee Miller Archive. 3. Man Ray: Black Widow, 1915. Oil on Canvas; Collection Marion Meyer, Paris. 4. Francis Picabia: Ici, c'est ici Stieglitz, 1915. Reproduced in 291, no. 5-6, July- August 1915. Lunn Gallery/Graphics International Ltd., Washington, D.C. 5. Man Ray: Untitled, 1915. Ink on Paper; Morton G. Neumann Family Collection, Chicago. 6. Francis Picabia: Voilà, la femme, 1916. Watercolor, gouache, and oil on paper; Collection Robert Lebel, Paris. 7. Constantin Brancusi: Princess X, 1916. Marble; Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Gift of Mrs. A. B. Sheldon. 8. Marcel Duchamp: In Advance of the Broken Arm, 1915, edition 1964, 8 ex. Snow shovel. 9. Marcel Duchamp: Fountain, 1917. Photograph by Alfred Stieglitz, from The Blind Man, no. 2 (May 1917). 10. Marcel Duchamp: Bicycle Wheel, 1913, edition 1964, 8 ex. Bicycle wheel mounted on a wooden stool II. Marcel Duchamp: With Hidden Noise, 1916. Ball of twine and brass plates; Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art. 12. Marcel Duchamp: Why Not Sneeze Rrose Sélavy, 1920.152 marble cubes, thermometer, and cuttle bone in a bird cage; Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art. 13. Paul Strand: Abstraction, Bowls, 1914 or 1915. Photogravure; The Witkin Gallery, Inc., New York. 14. Man Ray: Tapestry 1911,1919. Fabric mounted on canvas; Man Ray Trust, Paris. 15. Anonymous: Quilt (Squares), New Jersey, c. 1890. 16. Man Ray: Self Portrait, 1916. Gelatin silver print; J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu. 17. Man Ray: Self Portrait, edition 1970,40 ex. Serigraph on plexiglass. iii 18. Jean Crotti: The Clown, 1916. Lead, glass eyes, colored paper attached to glass; Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. 19. Man Ray: Boardwalk, 1917. Paint, knobs, cloth covered cord on wood; Collection Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. 20. Man Ray: Boardwalk, edition 1973, 9 ex. India ink and collage on wood panel. 21. Man Ray: New York 1917,1917. Wooden slats and metal clamp; object destroyed. 22. Man Ray: New York 1917, model used for edition 1966, date unknown. Wooden slats and painted metal clamp; Phillip Rein, Paris. 23. Man Ray: New York 1917, edition 1966,9 ex. Chrome plated bronze, brass, painted brass damp. 24. Abraham Walkowitz: Cityscape, c. 1912. Watercolor; Zabriskie Gallery, New York. 25. Man Ray: By Itself 1,1918. Wood, cork and iron; Westfâlisches Landesmuseum fiir Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Munster. 26. Man Ray: By Itself I, edition 1966,9 ex. Gilded bronze. 27. Man Ray: By Itself II, 1918. Wood; Kunsthaus, Zürich. 28. Man Ray: By Itself II, edition 1966, 9 ex. Gilded Bronze. 29. Max Weber: Spiral Rhythm, 1915. Bronze; Hirshom Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 30. Man Ray, Untitled, 1919. Aerograph and watercolor on panel; Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. 31. Man Ray: Man, 1918. Silver Print; Jedermann Collection. 32. Man Ray: Man, 1918, print 1920. Collection Musée National d'Art Modeme, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. 33. Frands Picabia: Ane, 1917. From 391, no. 5 (June 1917). 34. Man Ray: Woman, 1918. Silver print; Gilman Paper Company. 35. Marcel Duchamp: Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass), 1914-1923. Oil, varnish, lead foil, lead wire and dust; Katherine S. Dreier Bequest, Philadelphia Museum of Art. 36. Man Ray: Lampshade, 1919 or 1920, post card, 1921. 37. Man Ray: Lampshade, edition 1921. Painted tin, wire, and metal rod screwed into wooden base; Collection Sodété Anonyme, Yale University Art Gallery. iv 38. Man Ray: Lampshade, edition 1923 (photograph with Tristan Tzara and Jean Cocteau). Paper; Collection Arnold Crane. 39. Man Ray: Lampshade, edition 1954. Painted aluminum; Collection Man Ray, Paris. 40. Man Ray: Lampshade, edition 1959,100 ex. Galvanized iron painted white; Museum Ludwig, Cologne. 41. Man Ray: Catherine Barometer, 1920. Washboard, glass tube, colored strips of wood; Alain Terika, Paris. 42. Marius de Zayas: Abstract Caricature of Alfred Stieglitz, c. 1913. Charcoal; Metropolitan Museum, Alfred Stieglitz Collection. 43. Marsden Hartley: One Portrait of One Woman, 1912. Oil on composition board; University Gallery, University of Minnesota, on extended loan from lone and Hudson Walker. 44. Man Ray: Compass, 1920. Silver print photograph, Man Ray Trust ADAGP; Collection Lucien Treillard, Paris. 45. Man Ray: Eighth Street, 1920. Silver print photograph, Man Ray Trust ADAGP. 46. Man Ray: The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse, 1920. Silver print photograph; Gérard Levy Paris. 47. Man Ray: The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse, edition 1969. 48. Man Ray: The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse, edition 1971,10 ex. 49. Man Ray: Enigma II, 1935. Silver print photograph; Collection Luciano Anselmino, Milan. 50. Man Ray: L'Inquiétude, 1920-21. Silver print photograph, printed later; J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu. 51. Man Ray: Inquiétude II, 1965. Collage on paper; Collection Mr. and Mrs. Gifford Phillips, Santa Monica. 52. Jean Crotti: Solution de continuité, 1916. String, scissors, glass beads and mirror attached to glass; private collection. 53. Francis Picabia: Reveil Matin, 1919. Ink on paper, Collection Mrs. Barnett Malbin, New York. 54. Man Ray: New York 1920,1920. Gelatin silver print photograph; Menil Collection, Houston. 55. Man Ray: Obstruction, 1920, photograph 1920, Man Ray Trust ADAGP. 56. Man Ray: Obstruction, edition 1964,10 ex. 57. Marcel Duchamp: Sculpture for Traveling, 1918. Strips of bathing caps cemented together tied to strings; object destroyed. 58. Man Ray: Portmanteau, 1920. Silver print photograph; Gérard Levy, Paris. 59. Man Ray: dadaphoto, 1921. Collage; Timothy Baum, New York. 60. Man Ray: Presse-papier à Priape, edition 1966,8 ex. Sterling sliver. 61. Man Ray: Puériculture, 1920. Painted metal and plaster hand; Art Institute of Chicago. Bequest of Florence S. McCormick. 62. Man Ray: Puériculture II, 1964,12 ex. Polychrome bronze. 63. Man Ray: New York 1920,1920. Silver print photograph, Man Ray Trust ADAGP; Gérard Levy, Paris.
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