Like the Odalisques by Horst, these photographs are exquisite. While Horst in his Germanic approach worked hard with lighting and a designated studio space to achieve his, Man Ray did so, as you say with a simple, single light-source. I would imagine that these photographs date to the very first few days Lee Miller spent with Man Ray as the assistant he wasn't looking for.
Michael! Really enjoyed reading this. I’d never seen these particular Lee Miller/Man Ray images before!
Also inspired me to sift through my bookmarked terms and vocabulary of note to try and drill down to what the word for this might be… the ones that came most to mind for me (there might not truly be one singular term that captures what you’re speaking to here) are as follows:
Thank you! I was in a group show titled “mono no aware” once, haha. I think all 3 of your suggestions play a role in the feeling I’m referring to. For me it’s not an obsession with a specific person, as limerence suggests… and saudade is too solemn or melancholic. I do agree there may not be one word for it, haha.
I'm sure there are more words that come close to describing/representing the experience we're talking about here, but most of them, although I really like the ones mentioned in the replies, have to fall short of expectations. The feeling, or state of mind, is quite complex and certainly not always the same. Moreover, we tend to presume we can get into an artist's mind looking at photos (or other works of art) because we admire them, but we can't be really sure we understand or feel the same way. That alone makes it even more beautiful.
Like the Odalisques by Horst, these photographs are exquisite. While Horst in his Germanic approach worked hard with lighting and a designated studio space to achieve his, Man Ray did so, as you say with a simple, single light-source. I would imagine that these photographs date to the very first few days Lee Miller spent with Man Ray as the assistant he wasn't looking for.
Thank you for sharing, they are terrific.
“The assistant he wasn’t looking for” is such a great line.
Michael! Really enjoyed reading this. I’d never seen these particular Lee Miller/Man Ray images before!
Also inspired me to sift through my bookmarked terms and vocabulary of note to try and drill down to what the word for this might be… the ones that came most to mind for me (there might not truly be one singular term that captures what you’re speaking to here) are as follows:
mono no aware
saudade
limerence
And this - “Jìnghuā Shuǐyuè” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_Flower,_Water_Moon
Thank you! I was in a group show titled “mono no aware” once, haha. I think all 3 of your suggestions play a role in the feeling I’m referring to. For me it’s not an obsession with a specific person, as limerence suggests… and saudade is too solemn or melancholic. I do agree there may not be one word for it, haha.
The slant of the light....
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: heartspur ~ an unexpected surge of emotion and response to a seemingly innocuous trigger....
What a great word - it says what it is and triggers
I'm sure there are more words that come close to describing/representing the experience we're talking about here, but most of them, although I really like the ones mentioned in the replies, have to fall short of expectations. The feeling, or state of mind, is quite complex and certainly not always the same. Moreover, we tend to presume we can get into an artist's mind looking at photos (or other works of art) because we admire them, but we can't be really sure we understand or feel the same way. That alone makes it even more beautiful.
They made “pure beauty”