As an established leader of the Surrealist and Dada movements, Man Ray was fascinated with intertwining science and his imagination at an early age. Visiting the Institut Henri Poincare in Paris in 1934, he was mesmerized by a collection of 3-dimensional mathematical models. Photographing these models, he altered their appearances and in such, captivated fellow Surrealists and art historians. As WW II ensued, Ray was forced to flee France and leave some of his most famous photographs behind. In Hollywood, he set about to recreate his most beloved pieces, again showcasing the influence of geometry and mathematics in his works. His Shakespearean Equations were a series of 23 paintings, each painting named for a different Shakespeare play. This was Man Ray’s “final realization of the mathematical equations.”
On display now through May 10th, Shakespearean Equations is sure to captivate everyone who visits DC’s Phillips Collections. No need to be a math or literature major, everyone has something they’ll find intriguing!
This Surrealist oil painting was titled, “Julius Caesar” and painted in 1948.
Image courtesy of: FalseArt
This oil painting was completed in 1954 and titled, “Romeo and Juliet”.
Image courtesy of: Sport-Heute
An installation of Man Ray’s Human Equations: A Journey from Mathematics to Shakespeare at The Phillips Collection.
Image couresty of: The Phillips Collection Blog
