In the first half of the 19th century, with the invention of the camera, the idea that the raison d'être of the art of painting is to depict only what is seen begins to lose its meaning. In this context, 20th century artists seek new forms of expression in art. In 1914, with the outbreak of World War I, many thinkers, poets and painters came together and founded the Dada art community, where they shared their anti-war views. In this context, Dada is considered a protest art movement rather than an art movement.Man Ray supports the most resounding Dada art movement of the age.Ray also embraces the Surrealism movement that grew and developed within Dada. The Surrealism movement is influenced by Freud's theory of psychoanalysis and defines thought in its purest form as a concept outside all moral and aesthetic considerations, without any control of the mind. In his artworks, Ray uses the photographic image to create surreal images and develops a unique style called rayograph by utilizing the technique of silhouette photography (photogram). Man Ray lived in Paris in the early years of his artistic career, but had to return to America during World War II. The artist, who became more famous as a fashion photographer in America, continued to exhibit his art in Europe and America until his death in 1976.
Keywords: Dada, Surrealism, photography photogram, rayogram