I do not see the (Woman) Hidden in the Forest, 1929 by Man Ray

I do not see the (Woman) Hidden in the Forest, 1929 by Man Ray
I do not see the (Woman) Hidden in the Forest, 1929 by Man Ray

This series of photographs by Man Roy, surrounding o photograph of a painting by Rene Magritte, appears in most books on Surrealism, because of its depictions of the movement's main protagonists. The title 'I Do Not See the (Woman) Hidden in the Forest', with the figure of the woman replacing the text. The male protagonists all have their eyes closed, alluding to the commonly held dream fantasy by men of the nude woman and the desire for her, albeit only as a photograph. Given the Surrealists' proclivity for sexuality and wit the photograph has an ambiguity concerning what exactly is 'hidden' in the 'forest', Magritte often played with language in his paintings, juxtaposing text and images. In essence he was trying to demonstrate the incongruities and shortcomings of language when relating it to reality and experience. During the 1930s, and in line with Surrealist thought, Magritte explored metaphgsical theories concerning realitg and the seeminglg orbitrarg structure of language that leads to misunderstandings.

This image was on the back cover of the lost issue of La Revolution surrealiste, a journal that frequently explored ideas on psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud, particularly those aspects of sexuality and desire.