In Talks With

Man Ray

Episode Summary

Man Ray created some of the most arresting images of women in the 20th Century: Lee Miller’s floating lips, the glass tears of Kiki de Montparnasse, and portraits of Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, to name a few. A major new exhibition asks, how has he influenced contemporary fashion?

Episode Notes

Curator Romy Cockx talks to Danielle Radojcin about Man Ray’s journey from growing up as the son of working-class immigrants in Philadelphia to a towering giant of 20th Century image-making.

Man Ray was responsible for some of the most eye-catching photos of women in the 20th Century: Lee Miller’s floating lips, the glass tears of Kiki de Montparnasse, and portraits of fashion stars Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli to name but a few.

MoMu, the Fashion Museum in Antwerp, is currently running an exhibition showcasing Man Ray’s relationship with fashion, from his photo editorials for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, to the gowns worn by some of the famous women who modelled them. Cockx talks about what influenced Man Ray, from Paul Poiret to Marcel Duchamp and the Marquis de Sade, and the designers he in turn has influenced, including Phoebe Philo and Martin Margiela.