László Moholy-Nagy
American, born Hungary, 1895–1946
Untitled
INV-5546
László Moholy-Nagy
American, born Hungary, 1895–19461922
bauhausavant-gardegelatin silver (developing-out-paper) prphotographic process
Date
1922
Medium
Collodion silver chloride photogram
Dimensions
Image/paper: 13.9 × 8.9 cm (5 1/2 × 3 9/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Julien Levy Collection, Special Photography Acquisition Fund
László Moholy-Nagy was one of the foremost proponents of the photogram in the modern era. He made his very first photograms, including this one, on postcard stock. The green and pink iridescent sheen of the glossy surface and the warm image tone are characteristic of collodion printing-out paper. Printing-out paper darkens when exposed to light and does so relatively slowly, unlike developing-out paper, which yields a visible image immediately when immersed in developer. Thus Moholy-Nagy was able to check on his elaborate composition as he was creating it.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
Festival of the Lanterns, Bauhaus
Paul Klee German, born Switzerland 1879-1940
Swatches of Drapery, Wallpaper and Upholstery Materials
Possibly designed by Otti Berger (Yugoslav, 1898–1944) Possibly produced by the Bauhaus Workshop (Germany, 1919–1933) Germany, Berlin, Dessau, or Weimar
Furnishing Fabric
Produced by the Bauhaus Workshop (Germany, 1919–1933) Germany, Weimar
