Allume tes gitanes
Man Ray
Description
Subject Matter:
In this late Surrealist work by Man Ray, he continues to juxtapose strange combinations of objects to form new meanings. The print was produced after he moved to Paris at the end of the Second World War, yet its imagery is reminiscent of his earlier work in the 1920s and 30s. The gun had already been used in a 1922 rayograph and the technique of personal branding, the label at the lower right, is reminiscent of his work with Duchamp in that earlier period.
In this print, there is a visual as well as linguistic game at play. The guns point at one another, ready to shoot or be "lit" as the title jokingly suggests. The Gitanes, labeled in the fake ad that Man Ray has appropriated, is a brand of French cigarettes that has a gypsy as its brand logo—it was also the favorite cigarette of his wife Juliet. Possibly, even, the guns could be used to light the cigarettes in question.
Physical Description:
This black and white print shows the images of two pistols pointed at each other. Two large black abstract forms with vertical stripes sit underneath and above the two guns. At the lower right, there is a rectanglular box with the text "ALLUME TES / GITANES" and artist's signature "Man Ray", alongside an image comprised of half a glass bottle and abstract shapes and marks. The print is signed (l.r.) "Man Ray" and numbered (l.l.) "8/41" in pencil.
Usage Rights:
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