Iris
- Photographer
- Man Ray, American (active France), 1890–1976
- Date
- 1926
- Material
- Solarized gelatin silver print
- Classification
- Photographs
- Collection
- Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- image: 9 3/4 x 7 7/8 in. (24.8 x 20 cm)
sheet: 9 3/4 x 7 7/8 in. (24.8 x 20 cm) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 126:1977
NOTES
Man Ray mastered a darkroom technique known as solarization used in this image of an iris flower. Through a selective re-exposure of a print during development, a chemical phenomenon causes a reversal of tones, particularly in areas where there is a sharp contrast of light and dark. Man Ray solarized the contours of this flower, and as a result, the brilliant whites of the petals seem to well up from a pool of darkness, radiating an otherworldly glow.
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