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Man
Ray was born August 27, 1890 and Died November 18, 1976.
He was a pioneering painter and photographer in the Dada,
surrealist, and abstract art movements of the 1920s and
1930s. He founded the New York City Dada movement with
his friends Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia and then
moved to Paris in 1921, where he became a portrait photographer
to the intellectual avant-garde.
Although he was familiar with the work of Alfred Stieglitz
when he was a struggling young artist in New York, Man
Ray did not take up photography until he reached Paris
in the early 20's; and he did so, initially out of need
rather than desire. Unable to sell his paintings, he turned
to fashion photography and protraiture. He was extrordinarily
successful in both areas. By 1921, Man Ray's work was
causing something of a sensation due to his use of natural
light, sharp clear contrast and informal poses. His work
seemed extreme or avant-guarde at a time when Pictorialism
was still the predominant style of photography in Europe.
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