Man Ray

Since I first saw this image, decades ago, its been one of those ones always close at hand. There’s something almost frightening about it. The underside of the throat is an unusual vantage and here it takes on an otherworldy alien feeling especially here with the stars behind or a cresting hammerhead shark or a phallus. But what a grand tension between this lush body, this silky dress, and the thrust, the predation.

There is little doubt that Man Ray loved the female form. The image on the left, too, has stayed with me since I saw it. It’s called Solarized Nude in reference a process of controlled overexposure he used in many photographs.

And this one’s symmetry recalls Brancusi.

Which in turn reminds me of Pol Bury.

And they all remind me terribly of Modigliani. This head.

And this nude.