Extra Credit: Man Ray Reflections

Reflection: Man Ray Photography

Of the work of the photographers on the given list, Man Ray’s photography stood out to me. I chose my favorite Man Ray artworks to examine and reflect on.

    This is a portrait taken by Man Ray of a young woman. I believe that the subject of this piece is the woman, and she was shot relatively close up. This image does not follow the rule of thirds, as the woman’s face is in the center of the photograph. However, there are uniquely shaped constructions around the woman that add interest to the picture. I think that this portrait is abstract, rather than figurative, because though the subject can be identified as a young woman, the constructions around her cannot be defined. A title could not be found for this portrait.
    I feel that this image’s composition helps to add interest, as the sides of the photo are unbalanced. The shapes of the constructions surrounding the woman also help to make this picture more interesting. There is a tremendous amount of contrast in this piece. The constructions stand out against the dark background and the woman’s hair. There are also some mid-tones in the picture, including those in the woman’s lips and eyes. The woman’s lips and eyes also feature highlights. I believe that this image was taken in focus intentionally, to better capture the woman’s striking gaze.
     I speculate that under Dada influence, Man Ray chose to put these shapes in front of the woman and hid the woman’s body to create the opposite of a glamour shot.
    I feel that this artwork is very successful, because of the great use of value, good choice of subject matter and the mood that it conveys.

    I chose a second Man Ray photograph to analyze, shown below.

    This is an image of a house that was taken and distorted by Man Ray. I think that the house is the subject of this piece, and it was shot relatively far away. The picture follows the rule of thirds, because the house is not in the center of the photo, but to the right of it. I believe that the artwork is abstract, rather than figurative. A title could not be found for this photograph.
    I think that this image’s composition is successful, as it follows the rule of thirds and leads the viewer’s eyes around the picture. The shapes of the windows and those of the house and trees add interest to this photo. There are a fair amount of darks, lights, and mid-tones in this piece. There is also contrast, specifically, between the light sky and the dark trees and dark windows.
    I think that through this artwork, Man Ray is, again, under Dada influence, depicting societal norms. This photograph was taken outdoors.
    I feel that this photograph is successful, because of the interesting shapes, and good use of value.

    Looking at Man Ray’s photos, I have found that I appreciate his use of value and shape. These are two things that I can work to improve upon to make my photographs more successful.