Christian Alejandre

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László Moholy-Nagy

Gallery

László Moholy-Nagy, Love Your Neighbor; Murder on the RailwayLove Your Neighbor; Murder on the Railway, 1925

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• László Moholy-Nagy, Love Your Neighbor; Murder on the RailwayLove Your Neighbor; Murder on the Railway, 1925
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• László Moholy-Nagy, Human Mechanics, 1925
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• László Moholy-Nagy, Leda and the Swan, 1925
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• László Moholy-Nagy, The Olly and Dolly Sisters, 1925
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• László Moholy-Nagy, How Do I Stay Young and Beautiful, 1925
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• László Moholy-Nagy, City Lights, 1926
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• László Moholy-Nagy, Jealousy, 1927
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• László Moholy-Nagy, The Mavericks II, 1927
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• László Moholy-Nagy, My Name is Bunny Rabbit, I Know Nothing, 1927
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• László Moholy-Nagy, Die Korsettstange, 1925-27
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• László Moholy-Nagy, Die Zerruttete Ehe, 1925-27
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Relationships Within His Work

The specific area of Moholy-Nagy’s work that I have chosen to focus on is his photomontage, which is seen within the gallery above. Photomontage in the wake of WWI was an attempt for artists and designers to help re-shape society by conveying how a gendered experience of modernity could be envisioned. There are two unifying characteristics of almost all of his montage work that specifically stood out to me: the first, being his use of women as subjects and the second being the inclusion of line and geometric shape. As an artist, he utilized a constructivist approach in placing the photographic elements to create dynamic relationships within his pieces.

About the Artist

Born in Borsod, Austria-Hungary in 1895, László Moholy-Nagy had picked up an interest in literature at a young age. His first ambition was to become a writer, but he was persuaded to study law in Budapest after graduation. His studies came to a halt when World War I began, and in 1915 he enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian army as an officer. Though he had begun to pick up drawing before joining the army, he turned this hobby into a more serious one during his hours in artillery observation posts where he would produce sketches on the backs of military-issue postcards. At the age of 23, he officially began his career as an artist. He became fascinated by the expressive power of lines and the effects of color on composition. His work was highly influenced by Russian Constructivism, and he strove to eliminate “personal touch” from his paintings. In addition to painting, he focused a lot of his time on creating collages on paper and dabbling into photography. He spent five pivotal years as a professor at the Bauhaus school, where his paintings continued to evolve. He then began work as a free-lance designer, creating book jackets, posters and exhibitions. In 1935, he set up a design studio with György Kepes. In 1939, he opened his own school, The School of Design in Chicago, and though it absorbed much of his time and energy, he still continued to lecture, paint, photograph and publish his works. He is noted to be one of the greatest influences on post-war art education in the United States.

Signature Points

1. He worked predominantly with light as a photographer and painter.
2. His time in the army played a fundamental role in not only his art but his teaching.
3. He was an advocate of the integration of technology and industry into the arts.

Research Links

The Art Story: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

Moholy-Nagy Foundation

Monoskop: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy Biography