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My first contribution to Blast Magazine, here. The Photography of Jerry Uelsmann at the Peabody Essex Museum

What’s Love Got To Do, GOT TO DO, With It?!

Man Ray (1890–1976); A l’heure de l’observatoire – les amoureux (Observatory Time – The Lovers), 1964, after a canvas of c.1931; Color photograph; 19 5/8 x 48 3/4 in. (50 x 124 cm); The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; © 2011 Man Ray Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/ Photo © The Israel Museum by Avshalom Avital.

After a very unpleasant episode where a matter of the heart caused acute emotional downfall, Man Ray/Lee Miller, Partners in Surrealism which was on view at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) might not have been the best way for me to spend an afternoon. What I basically took away from the exhibition was that love and respect can lead to wonderful creative things. No shit.

Although the romantic relationship between Ray and Miller was short lived, its existence and demise was the catalyst for each artist to produce some of the finest works of their respective careers and led to a deep, lifelong friendship.

Exceptionally organized and well researched, the exhibition was laid out chronologically, introducing us to each artist prior to their meeting (Miller convinced the very reluctant Ray to let her apprentice under him), works that each created in Paris during the course of the romance, then those made after its volatile end. The show was rounded out with pieces created by Pablo Picasso, Roland Penrose (who Miller later married), and others from Ray/Miller’s circle of friends. The first exhibition ever organized featuring Ray and Miller together on equal terms, it was one of the finest and most inspirational I’ve seen this year.

Lee Miller (1907–1977); Portrait of Man Ray, 1931; Gelatin silver print; 9 1/8 x 6 7/8 in. (23.3 x 17.5 cm); Lee Miller Archives, Sussex, England; © Lee Miller Archives, England 2011. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk








Man Ray (1890–1976); Solarized Portrait of Lee Miller, c. 1930; Gelatin silver print; 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (24.3 x 18.8 cm); The Penrose Collection, Sussex, England; © 2011 Man Ray Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/Courtesy of The Penrose Collection. All rights reserved.

"This exhibition is a microcosm of Surrealism, embodied by two people and their feelings for each other. Together, Man Ray and Lee Miller became the ultimate Surrealist object - two people who were inescapably drawn to each other, but could not make it work." - Phillip Prodger, PEM Curator of Photography.

Man Ray (1890–1976); Indestructible Object, originally made 1928, destroyed Paris 1957, this replica 1959; Metronome with gelatin silver print of Lee Miller’s eye; 9 1/8 x 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 in. (23 x 11 x 11 cm); The Penrose Collection, Sussex, England; © 2011 Man Ray Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/Courtesy of The Penrose Collection. All rights reserved.

Ray made the first version of this object shortly after Miller left him. Attaching a photograph of Miller’s eye to the metronome, he linked his memory of her to the idea of an insistent beat or pulse that was both irksome and unending – a metaphor, perhaps, for human desire. The original, destroyed in Paris in the late 1950's, was titled Object to be Destroyed. This later version, Indestructible Object, was produced in an edition of 100.

Learn more about PEM and upcoming exhibitions here.

Editorial Disclaimer: The author of this post received discounted or complementary admission to the above mentioned exhibition, courtesy of the host institution, organization or gallery.

"Liberated from the dictates of mainstream fashion"

Today I had the pleasure of visiting the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA to see the exhibition, Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel up until February 7.

Over her 88 years, the fashion icon has amassed a wardrobe that exists as a true collection of fine art. All of the ensembles were handpicked by Mrs. Apfel herself, for the show that was originally organized by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Pieces of haute couture from the fashion houses of Chanel and Dior are paired with goat fur boots, antique belts from Middle Eastern bazaars and Bakelite bangles. The show allows visitors to have first hand encounters with pieces of fashion that are rarely seen outside of Paris fashion shows or Afghan souks.

Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel, is a truly inspirational show that encourages its audience to take chances with fashion and to spend an afternoon at the local thrift store.

Learn more about the Peabody Essex Museum.

Watch an interview with Mrs. Apfel here.