See Man Ray’s Textiles On Display In This New York Exhibit

Emmanuel “Manny” Radnitzky was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he earned a scholarship to study architecture. These are perhaps lesser-known facts about the prolific 20th-century artist Man Ray, who lived much of his life in Paris. Another Easter egg may be that, although he was most famous for his surrealist photography, paintings, and films, Ray also made textiles. For the first time in the U.S., and in conjunction with his retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 10 of them are on display in “Man Ray: The Revolving Doors Tapestries,” at Boccara Gallery in New York. The origin of the series dates to 1916, when Ray produced colorful collages of cut construction paper that he assembled into rhythmic, art deco–influenced geometric shapes and displayed on interactive stands that viewers could rotate (like a revolving door). In 1973, three years before Ray’s death but under his direction, the Parisian weaving workshop Atelier 3 translated the collages into nearly 7-foot-tall tapestries. Along with giving his art newfound depth, tactility, and longevity, such woven works as Long Distance and Concrete Mixer capture Ray’s playful subversion and fascination with motion.

Editor’s note: Among the 10 pieces appearing in “Man Ray: The Revolving Doors Tapestries,” through February 1 at New York’s Boccara Gallery, which specializes in modern and antique tapestries as well as collaborations that bridge fine art and craftsmanship, are The Meeting, Long Distance, and Legend, all 59 by 79 inches, translated in 1973 by Atelier 3 from paper collages Ray made in 1916, and handwoven of wool.