Jewish Museum's Man Ray Exhibition Explores Artist's Reinvention Through Assimilation

The Jewish Museum in New York City hosted 'Alias Man Ray: The Art of Reinvention' from November 15, 2009, to March 14, 2010, under the curation of Mason Klein. This exhibition showcased a variety of works, including photographs, paintings, and assemblages, such as the fabric piece Tapestry from 1911. Man Ray, originally named Emmanuel Radnitzky and born in 1890, relocated to Brooklyn and adopted his new name. The display emphasized his early career, featuring works like The Riddle from 1920, and documented his move to Paris in 1921, where he gained recognition as a photographer. Early Rayographs appeared in Vanity Fair in November 1922. After fleeing the Nazis in 1940, he married Juliet Browner and returned to Paris in 1951. The exhibition also acknowledged his impact on artists like Warhol and included works such as Obstruction and Image a deux faces.