Photograms are early photographic images created without a camera by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive material and exposing it to light. Henry Fox Talbot, who coined the term "photogenic drawings", was an early pioneer of the technique in the 1830s. In the 20th century, artist Man Ray experimented extensively with photograms, which he called "rayographs", using unconventional exposures and object placements to create surreal images. His rayographs were not fully appreciated during his life but are now considered masterworks of the photogram technique.

1. Photograms

2. Brought to you by:

7. Henry Fox Talbot
• Some of the first
photographic images made
were photograms
• William Henry Fox Talbot
called photograms
“Photogenic drawings”

8. What is a photogram?
• Is a photographic images
made without a camera.
• The images is made by
placing the objects
directly onto the surface
of the light-sensitive
material such as
photographic paper then
exposing it to light.

9. Henry Fox Talbot
• He made them by placing
leaves and pieces of material
onto sensitized paper, and
then left them outdoor on
sunny days to expose.
• THE RESULT? Dark
background with a white
silhouette of the object.

10. The photogram “Rebirth”
Man Ray a 20th
century artist/
photographer used
Photograms, later
coining the phrase
and process as
“Rayographs”

11. Man Ray
•
•
•
•
•
Real name: Emmanual Rudinitsky
Man Ray: born in Philly 1870
Adult life: New york, Paris, & Hollywood
Reputation flourished in Paris
He became a big part of the Dada and
Surrealist movements in art.

12. Man Ray’s…“Rayographs”
• His style capitalized on the
stark and unexpected
effects of negative imaging,
• unusual juxtapositions of
identifiable objects
• variations in the exposure
time given to different
objects within a single
image, and moving objects
as the sensitive materials
were being exposed.

13. Rayographs

14. Other photographic works
by MAN RAY
“Glass
Tears”
by
Man
Ray
ca
1930-­‐33

15. Hair
photo
by
Man
Ray

16. “Le
Violon
d’Ingres”
1924
by
Man
Ray

17. Man Ray’s continued…
• He considered Paris his home, and his artistic reputation
flourished there.
• World War II forced Man Ray to flee Paris.
• He had to leave behind his masterpieces of paintings and
photography; in essence, his entire artistic career.
• When his boat was safely in the Port of Newark, he “was
overcome with a feeling of intense depression”. He knew
he had to start over.
• HIS RAYOGRAPHS were not fully appreciated in his
lifetime, but are now considered great works.