Lazlo Moholy Nagy

Happy Birthday Lazlo Moholy Nagy!! Hungarian born in 1895, Lazlo Moholy Nagy was a painter and photographer influenced by Constructivism. He put together his surname from the town where he grew up: Mohol, and a friend of his mother’s: Nagy. Moholy Nagy originally strove to be an author, writing poetry, and wrote several books and journals throughout his lifetime. He served in World War I, recording through drawing, his tour on the backs of postcards, providing an insightful commentary on his experiences. Following the war, he began to take art classes, leaning toward Expressionism, but also interested in the effects of color on composition. He began to study photography in 1919, experimenting with photography techniques, photograms, and collage for the rest of his life. He became acquainted with Walter Gropius, who asked him to become a professor at the Bauhaus school. The goal of the Bauhaus was to be a school of design and industrial integration. Moholy Nagy became quite involved in Constructivism, the state of the world, and improving society through art by instilling social responsibility. He immigrated to the US, in 1937, eventually establishing the Institute of Design in Chicago in 1944. Sadly, Moholy Nagy died of leukemia at age 50.

Photogram-exposing photo paper to light with objects placed on top, creating a collage with varied light effects.