Man Ray

Estate of Juliet Man Ray (sale: Sotheby's, London, Man Ray, Paintings, Objects, Photographs; Property from the Estate & Family of Juliet Man Ray and the Man Ray Trust,  22nd March 1995, lot 59)
Private Collection, California (purchased at the above sale)

London, Hanover Gallery, Man Ray, 1969, no. 13

There are minor drying cracks in the paint, inherent to the artist's process and some slight rubbing at the left and right edge of the left panel. There is a good thick impasto to the surface of the painting. This work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall accurate, although the panels are brighter and whiter in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1958, Man Ray experimented with rapid drying acrylic paint and developed the automatic technique whereby he applied paint in heavy patches to a board or panel, placed a second panel on top and the squeezed the two together, often by sitting on them. When the panels were separated, the artist would obtain abstract colourful effects, with a heavy impasto. Sometimes the result would leave a sufficient amount of paint on each panel to produce two works, mirror images of each other.

 Man Ray described how he developed the technique for his Natural Painting series: 'At the same time I sought a new technique that would be more automatic as when a seed or sapling is planted and the forces of nature are counted on to do the rest. By spreading the colors according to the impulse of the moment, I abandoned brushes and palette knives, and applied pressure with other surfaces, withdrawing them to produce a variation of the Rorschach test. The results were astonishing, with details that could have been obtained only through long and meticulous labor by hand. I gave these productions the general title of Natural Paintings' (Self portrait, 1988, p. 302).