Man Ray was born in 1890 in Philadelphia. In 1913, at the landmark Armory Show in New York, he discovered the work of European artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia. With Duchamp, he experimented with optical devices to study motion. He participated in the Dada movement in New York until 1921, when he left for France. Upon arriving in Paris, Duchamp introduced him to the city’s artistic scene, marking the beginning of an intense period of creativity that encompassed photography (fashion, portraits, art), exhibitions, and films. During the interwar years in Paris, Man Ray moved among the leading figures of the avant-garde — Dadaists, Surrealists, writers, filmmakers, and fashion designers.

In 1940, Man Ray was forced to leave France for the United States, where he created major works such as the Shakespearian Equations. He returned to Paris in 1951, settling on rue Férou, where he painted, drew, wrote his memoirs, and continued to experiment with photographic processes. It was during this time that he began publishing his series of objects, Objects of My Affection, first with Marcel Zerbib and later with Arturo Schwarz.

Man Ray remained creatively active until his death in 1976. He is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery.