8th Grade Introduction to Photography & Graphic Design Sunprint Project

Man Ray & Dada "Legendary Photography, painter, and maker of objects and films, Man Ray was one of the most versatile and inventive artists of this century. Born in Philadelphia in 1890, he knew the worlds of Greenwich Village in the avant garde era following the 1913 Armory show; Paris in the 1920's and 1930's, where he played a key role in the Dada and Surrealist movements; The Hollywood of the 1940s, where he joined others chased by war from their homes in Europe; and finally, Paris again until his death in " ( Dada is “anti-art.” Rather than being concerned with traditional rules of art, Dada artists try to infer no meaning in their work. While the art does generally have a theme, it is not overt, interpretation is entirely open to the viewer.

Man Ray & Dada Man Ray used a style of laying objects on to photographic paper to create Dada collages. What was in the negative space between the objects was just as important as the positive space the objects took up. He became so famous for this work that this methodology came to be called Rayographs. See if you can determine the theme behind these Rayographs and what materials were used to create them. Pay specific attention to the negative space.

Now it’s your turn. By the end of this project you will understand how we use both positive and negative space in composition as well as have a basic understanding of light sensitivity. You will be expected to bring in objects from home for your sun print and create at least two to three thoughtfully composed sun prints that take into account both positive and negative space and have some form of hidden theme.