Man Ray Quotes
All critics should be assassinated.
Man Ray. Self Portrait. Little, Brown, 1963.
Spinoza’s ideas were considered so radical and dangerous that he was the only man in history who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims.
In September of 2005 a Danish Newspaper published some political cartoons showing the hypocrisy of some Muslims who use Islam to justify murder of innocents and terrorism. Months later, many in the Middle East protested vehemently and Muslim riots broke out because the Prophet Muhammad's visage was depicted against Islamic tradition. Many Muslim leaders claimed that insulting religion was an “abuse” of freedom of speech including those from nations which regularly publish material that is virulent against Christians and Jews.
The editorial was in response to Congressional hearings held by J. Parnell Thomas of the House Un-American Activities Committee whereby Hollywood producers and directors were questioned about their political beliefs.
The Vatican Congregation of the Index had banned Greene’s Book, The Power and the Glory. See {598544}.
Danish fundamentalist Muslim Groups were demonstrating, protesting, and threatening Danes who wrote or published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Other Europeans who had committed what Muslims thought to be blasphemy had been attacked and even murdered by Muslim fundamentalists. Led by Nasim Rahnama, some Danish Muslims, braved attack and possible death, and produced a petition of Muslims defending the right of freedom of publication. See {59932} & {59919}.
The early revolutionary Chinese Communists had a much more democratic and civil-liberties oriented view of government than after the had won and gained control of China. Then the problems were so enormous with such meager resources that the insecurity of the party government let to a civil rights flip flop and a politically authoritarian government. Stability is today the most important priority for the Chinese Communist party so that free speech, protests and other civil liberties are curtailed. Economic development is the more important activity and political development is lagging, but while economic development is racing ahead, Chinese political development improves only slowly. Dissidents like Liu Xiaobo are pushing the process.
Written when only a teenager.
Man Ray was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal. He produced major works in a variety of media but considered himself a painter above all. He was best known for his pioneering photography, and he was a renowned fashion and portrait photographer. Man Ray is also noted for his work with photograms, which he called "rayographs" in reference to himself.
