Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray was a famous American filmmaker, painter and photographer. His career is distinctive, above all, for the success he achieved in both the United States and Europe. First maturing at the center of American modernism in the 1910s, he made Paris his home in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1940s, he crossed the Atlantic once again and spent periods in New York and Hollywood.
Ray’s art spanned painting, sculpture, film, prints and poetry, and in his long career, he worked in styles influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism. He also successfully navigated the worlds of commercial and fine art and came to be a sought-after fashion photographer. Ray is perhaps most remembered for his photographs of the inter-war years, in particular, the camera-less pictures he called "Rayographs," but he always regarded himself first and foremost as a painter. Although he matured as an abstract painter, Ray eventually disregarded the traditional superiority painting held over photography and happily moved between different forms. Dada and Surrealism were important in encouraging this attitude; they also persuaded him that the idea that motivates a work of art was more important than the work of art itself.
André Breton once described Ray as a pre-Surrealist, something which accurately describes his natural affinity for the style. Even before the movement had coalesced, in the mid-1920s, his work, influenced by Marcel Duchamp, had Surrealist undertones. He would continue to draw on the movement's ideas throughout his life. Ray's work has ultimately been very important in popularizing Surrealism.
Find original Man Ray art on 1stDibs.
Bench Eye Le Temoin by Man Ray for Studio Simon, Italy, 1971
By Man Ray, Simon Gavina Editions
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Bench pouf stool or coffee low cocktail table Eye sculpture "Le Témoin" by Man Ray for Studio Simon ( Dino Gavina ). An edition from the 1990s.
Faux Leather, Resin, Plywood
'Le Temoin' Stool by Man Ray for Gavina
By Gavina, Man Ray
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
Beautiful example in pristine condition, designed by Man Ray for Gavina's ultramobile exhibition.
Faux Leather, Acrylic, Foam, Plywood
$9,646 / item
H 16.54 in W 52.37 in D 17.72 in
Civil Bench 057 by Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina, Mid-Century Modern
By Pierre Jeanneret, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Civil bench 057 by Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. Available in teak, oak or black stained oak. Assembly, con...
Rattan, Wood, Oak, Teak
Pine Bench for Les Arcs by Chalrotte Perriand
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
A 3 seater bench designed under the supervision of Charlotte Perriand for Les Arcs, a French ski resort.
Pine
$9,500
H 13 in W 67 in D 19 in
Majestic Restored Pagoda Coffee Table or Bench by John Wisner for Ficks Reed
By John Wisner, Ficks Reed
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent coffee table is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing: meticulous professionally restored and completely installation ready. An exquis...
Cane, Rattan, Hardwood
Ebonized Wood All-Black MiMi Bench by Miduny, Made in Italy
By Miduny, Ale Preda
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This versatile and essential bench is both iconic and minimal. The painted facets of its angular geometry capture the ever-changing gradients of light....
Birch, Oak, Plywood
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Table or Bench with Magazine Display
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
An exceptional coffee table or bench (Model 5933a) designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar with built-in brass rods for suspending magazines. Another option would be to recess a glass ...
Mahogany
1930s Italian Bench
By Pier Luigi Colli
Located in New York, NY
This 1930s Italian bench is so over-scaled, and monumental in appearance, that it seems to have been made for the large room it was destined, rather than the comfort of a typical sitter. As such, it would function equally well as a low side table or a high cocktail table. We’ll allow the buyer to determine its use. The designer was Pierluigi Colli, and the fabricator Martinotti, the Turin furniture and interior decorating firm that was established in 1831, and exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair. Colli’s family owned a textile company that supplied Martinotti with upholstery fabrics, suggesting nepotism had something to do with his being hired as the firm's director in 1926. Nevertheless, he proved himself worthy as a designer and a businessman. Having studied in Paris at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs, he befriended leading French designers, and arranged for Martinotti to retail Lalique glass and Jean Perzel lighting. In addition, the quality of their work, and Colli’s dedication to the modern design movement, prompted Carlo Mollino, Gio Ponti, and Gino Levi-Montalcini, among others, to have Martinotti fabricate some of their furniture. Colli’s claim to fame, however, is his own work as a designer, and his ability to master the vocabularies of every trend from Art Deco to midcentury modern. During the Great Depression, when nearly every nation floundered economically, fascist Italy...
Other
Walnut Orange MiMi Bench by Miduny, Made in Italy
By Miduny, Ale Preda
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This versatile and essential bench is both iconic and minimal. The painted facets of its angular geometry capture the ever-changing gradients of light. The legs interlock into the notched top to create a beautiful joinery detail and sturdy construction. This slender and graceful bench fits underneath our MiMi table. The MiMi line was recognized as an NYCxDesign 2018 Honoree and German Design Award 2019 Nominee. Designed in Brooklyn by Italian-born architect Ale Preda for Miduny, this artisanal product is made in Italy by master craftsmen with sustainable, FSC (forestry stewardship council) certified materials. . The MiMi console...
Birch, Walnut, Plywood
$3,900
H 15 in W 63 in D 14 in
Harry Bertoia Midcentury Slat Bench by for Knoll International, USA, 1960s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful modernist ashwood slatted bench with an Y-shaped iron base from the 1960s. Designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll INternational. Restored, in very good condition. A multipur...
Iron
Oak Wood MiMi Bench White by Miduny, Made in Italy
By Miduny, Ale Preda
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Merging clean lines with warm materials, the faceted geometry of the MiMi bench creates a slender, elegant profile punctuated with painted surfaces that capture light. This modern an...
Birch, Oak, Plywood
Walnut Black MiMi Bench by Miduny, Made in Italy
By Ale Preda, Miduny
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This versatile and essential bench is both iconic and minimal. The painted facets of its angular geometry capture the ever-changing gradients of light....
Birch, Walnut, Plywood
John Keal Slatted Bench for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Low profile bench by John Keal for Brown Saltman, circa 1950s, USA. The bench features mahogany wood slats and tapered dowel legs. Perfect as a low profile coffee table, entryway ben...
Mahogany