Man Ray: Contacts

An extremely rare collection of Man Ray: Contacts prints from a private collection goes on display at ATLAS Gallery on February 21st, including some of the artist’s most celebrated images alongside rarely seen portraits of Hemingway, Picasso, Braque and James Joyce. This extensive collection of 173 prints gives an unedited view of the Man Ray archive. Many prints are printed full frame, showing untouched versions of more recognisable works, giving a wonderfully raw insight into the work of the 20^th Century’s most celebrated Surrealist photographer. 

The collection is one of a number of sets of contact prints known to exist, created as a reference for Man Ray’s work during his lifetime. This collection was acquired by a European collector in 2002 from the previous owner, who purchased the set directly from Man Ray’s dark-room printer Pierre Gassman. One other set is in the possession of the Pompidou Centre. Gassman was a celebrated figure in the history of world photography – he printed for and collaborated with some of the great names of the medium in the 20^th Century, including Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank and Brassai.