Man Ray – 1923 Photogram (Rayograph)
Man Ray used the term ‘Rayograph’ for his re-invention of camera less
photography known as ‘Photograms’.
Photograms are photographic pieces created without a camera. It is
carried out by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper
which would then be exposed to light. This 1923 photogram was
created by Ray using a strip of film.
The parts of the film that would have been transparent or slightly
transparent and were exposed to some light, have appeared grey on
the photogram with some of the image of the film being displayed.
The parts of the film that were opaque and perhaps had multiple
layers of the film on top of each other did not receive any light and
are displayed as white.
These different tonal variations create an x-ray interpretation and in
similarity to this, the film of a movie is something no one sees when
watching the final product until it is presented to them – just like the
bones of a human cannot be seen as they are covered by skin, until an
x-ray is carried out.
The mixtures of all the different effects of light also create and
intriguing and chaotic piece.
The circular motions of the film could be interpreted as infinite regression, in which a chain of events goes backwards forever – the film
is constantly continuing and the start or finish is not present. The opaque parts of the photogram where light was not received could
represent a part in the film which faced challenges along the way during which something could not be seen or difficult to present.
Anne Umland expressed that ‘the subjects are rendered almost unrecognisable’. The photogram and therefore the effect of the light is
causing the identity of the people/objects that are presented on the film to be eliminated.