Right Place, Right Time : ARTS : EXHIBITIONS

Beginning of article

THE LACKADAISICALLY controversial Man Ray stands or falls - and usually falls - by his contributions to the arts of painting and sculpture. But, as the exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery demonstrates, his photography is of another order. Here is camerawork that combines luck - the chance of being around with a good eye at the right time - with sinister charm.

Ray's work in the traditional media doesn't look so good and in truth isn't good. It's more a token of his general vanguardism and his clever American eye on Europe. Born in Philadelphia in 1890, he went to art classes in New York and was in Paris by 1921. There he became a part of the international dada movement …