William Seabrook and Man Ray's Collaboration: A Closer Look

In the late 1920s, American writer William Seabrook teamed up with famed photographer Man Ray to create some unusual photos. One set featured Seabrook pretending to have S/M interactions with Lee Miller. Another set was like living paintings of Seabrook's strange fantasies. There were also portraits of his partner, Marjorie Worthington, wearing a special collar designed by Man Ray. These pictures, along with other works, might look like they're showing women being abused for men's pleasure. But, if you consider the intellectual world of Man Ray, Seabrook, and the surrealists, these images could be seen as early examples of BDSM. The art is filled with themes like primitivism, orientalism, and admiration for Black culture that were popular among creative people back then. Seabrook's interest in these things wasn't free of racism or sexism. However, most of these experiments were agreed upon and done as performances. They show how these people were trying to reach a new understanding of themselves and the world.