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inthe1920sand30sbyManRayandhismodernistcolleaguesRaoulUbacCharlesScheelerCecilBeatonandothersandbroughtthemtogetherwithmanyoftheactualobjectsdepictedintheimages.TheintentionGrossmanwritesintheexhibitioncatalogueistoshowtheinstrumentalrolephotographsplayedintheprocessbywhichAfricanobjectsformerlyconsideredethnographiccuriositiescametobeperceivedasthestuffofModernartinthefirstdecadesofthetwentiethcentury.Inmanyinstancesthephotographsandthree-dimensionalobjectsintheshowhavebeenseparatedformorethanhalfacenturydisseminatedthroughwidelydifferentpublicandprivatecollectionsonbothsidesoftheAtlantic.Bringingthemtogetherinthisexhibitionrepresentsastartlingfirst.Italsorepresents15yearsofintenseresearchbyGrossman.AlongthewayshehasfoldedanumberofotherthemesintoheroriginalpremisetheexhibitionandcatalogueexaminetherelationshipbetweenimageandobjectthepoliticsandpoeticsofsurrealismandtheimpactofAfricancultureonwesternfashionmusicandart-collectingofthetime.CarolMayerMOAscuratorofOceanicandAfricanartandtheliaisoncuratorforthistouringexhibitionwalksintotheMichaelAudainGallerywherepreparatorsarebusilyinstallingtheshow.JazzplaysinthebackgroundandJeanCocteaussurreal1930filmBloodofaPoetissilentlyprojectedoverawallandacrossthefloor.Blowupsoftwodifferentblack-and-whitephotographsofthesameAfricanobjectaBamilekefigurefromCameroonsignalthecomplexwaysinwhichphotographycantransformitssubjectandinfluenceourinterpretationofit.ThecarvedwoodenfigureknownasBangwaQueenwasphotographedinabout1934bythesurrealism-influencedManRayandagainin1935bythemoreformalistWalkerEvans.Evansshothisphotoinwhatlookslikeanuninflecteddocumentaryfashionthelightingisflatandeventhefigureisseenstraightonandnoonefeaturepredominatesoveranyother.ManRaysphotohoweverisdramaticallydifferentshotfromabovewithcrosswayslightinganddeepshadowsthefigurelooksbothfierceandsorrowful.Eyesandmouthareexpressivelyexaggerated.Thethree-dimensionalworksintheexhibitionrangingfromtinyivorypendantstointricatelycarvedwoodendoorsarefineexamplesofAfricanartMayertellstheStraightbuttheirimportanceinthiscontextistoposequestionsabouttheirrepresentation.HowdidtheparticularartmovementsofthetimeinfluencethewaypeoplelookedatthemTheframingandlightingthecameraanglethekindofpaperonwhichtheprintwasdevelopedandthewaytheimagewascroppedallplayedaroleinthemessagethephotographerwantedtoconvey.Mayerpointsoutasolarizedself-portraitManRayNoireetblanchenegativeversion19262010ManRayTrustArtistsRightsSocietyARSNewYorkADAGPParis