Tears, 1930-33
Gelatin silver print
22.9 x 29.8 cm (9 x 11-3/4 in.)
84.XM.230.2

In addition to being the art capital of the 1920s, Paris was also the fashion capital, and it was in this area that Man Ray made a significant mark by infusing glamour photography with an element of Surrealist absurdity. A friend of Man Ray's remarked about this photograph, in which glass beads have been placed on a fashion model's face: "The eye is the surreal object par excellence; it is the instru- ment that sees, that cries, that laughs, that reads, that is negated or wounded. The eye is the opening to mystery." By effectively utilizing found objects, the artist is able to transform a mannequin from an empty vessel of surface beatity to an object of intellectual puzzlement.
(MAN RAY related to-->> 172, Japanese)

related: web site -->>
• Man Ray Photo
• Man Ray Trust Official Site