I paint what cannot be photographed, that which comes from the imagination or from dreams, or from an unconscious drive.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the power of imagination and dreams in artistic expression, highlighting that art can capture the intangible.
Man Ray's statement reveals the essence of his artistic philosophy, suggesting that true art transcends mere reality captured through photography. It speaks to the idea that the artist's inner world, influenced by imagination and dreams, holds greater significance in the creative process, allowing for a deeper connection with feelings and subconscious drives.
In practice
During an art class, to inspire students to express themselves, one might say this quote to encourage them to delve into their imaginations.
I like contradictions. We have never attained the infinite variety and contradictions that exist in nature. Tomorrow I shall contradict myself. That is the one way I have of asserting my liberty, the real liberty one does not find as a member of society.
I do not photograph nature. I photograph my visions.
l photograph what l do not wish to paint and l paint that which l cannot photograph.
Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask 'how', while others of a more curious nature will ask 'why'. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.
Dada cannot live in New York. All New York is dada, and will not tolerate a rival.
Nature does not create works of art. It is we, and the faculty of interpretation peculiar to the human mind, that see art.
My chief virtue (or if you like, defect) has been a tireless lifelong search for an original, individual musical idiom. I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.
Generally, we use light to illuminate other things. I like the thingness, the materiality of light itself. So it feels like it's occupying the space, making a plane, being something that was there, not just passing through. Because light is just passing through. I make these spaces that seem to arrest it for our perception.
From the very beginning, I was very interested just in light, and art seemed to be a way to work with it.
Poetry is the deification of reality.
When I work on sculpture, I don't have to worry about function. When I work on a piece of architecture, I must think about function all the time.
Music is part of us, and either ennobles or degrades our behavior.
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