List: Permanent Attraction - Man Ray and Chess

Autor: List, Larry
Verlag / Hersteller: Hirmer
Erscheinungsjahr: 2025
Sprache: Englisch
Buchumschlag: hardcover
Seiten: 239

Man Ray's Chess Art: The Definitive Study of a Modernist Obsession

Permanent Attraction explores Man Ray's lifelong engagement with chess as a subject and creative force across multiple artistic media. Author Larry List, drawing on fifteen years of research and authorized access to The Man Ray Trust archives, offers the first comprehensive examination of how the avant-garde master integrated chess imagery into his practice—from photography and painting to sculpture and functional design.

This book is essential for art historians, Surrealism and Dada scholars, and collectors seeking to understand a significant yet overlooked dimension of twentieth-century modernism. Man Ray's chess sets and chess-themed works have attracted major collectors from Igor Stravinsky to David Bowie and now reside in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and Centre Pompidou.

Highlights

• First and only monograph dedicated to Man Ray's chess-themed artworks across all media
• Explores the creative reasons behind Man Ray's decades-long engagement with chess design and imagery
• Features over 350 color illustrations including design drawings, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and finished chess sets
• Authorized research with access to The Man Ray Trust archives and fifteen years of scholarly investigation
• Traces the influence of these works on international modernism and their reception by avant-garde figures and institutions
• Includes foreword by leading Man Ray scholar Francis M. Naumann

A landmark study that repositions chess as central to understanding Man Ray's artistic vision and legacy.

FAQ

What types of chess works does this book cover?
The book examines Man Ray's chess-themed creations across all media: photography, painting, sculpture, functional chess set design, and related drawings. It encompasses both artistic explorations and commercially produced designs that were collected by major twentieth-century figures.

Is this book based on primary research?
Yes. Author Larry List conducted over fifteen years of research and was authorized by The Man Ray Trust to access archives and materials. The study draws on direct engagement with original works, designs, and documentation.

Where can Man Ray's chess works be seen today?
Major holdings are found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, Centre Pompidou, and Philadelphia Museum of Art, among other institutions. The works are also held by private collectors worldwide.