Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and The Bauhaus
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and The Bauhaus
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian constructivist who was gifted in most forms of the visual arts. He was born in 1895 and raised in the city of Bachsbarsad, Hungary and studied law in Hungary's capital of Budapest. He began his artistc venture during his service in World War I with sketches on military-issue postcards, and produced a versatile catalog of works throughout his life. He was skilled in design, sculpture, painting, photography, and more. He was also a member of the prestigious Bauhaus faculty in Weimar, Germany. In 1937, Moholy-Nagy became director of the New Bauhaus in Chicago and lived there until he died of leukemia in 1946. Moholy-Nagy was an important figure in 20th century art and concentrated much of his work on the integration of art and technology. Although Moholy-Nagy was one of the most influential artists of his time, his work is only vaguely recalled because it employed so many different mediums and never established a prominence in any one specifically. (Goethe Institute, p. 52)
Moholy-Nagy was a prominent member of the Bauhaus faculty, replacing Johannes Itten as instructor of the schools preliminary course in 1924. Walter Gropius, the schools director, wanted a shift from the Bauhaus' current expressionistic style to more of its original aim at industrial engineering. The Bauhaus was very influential on most modern art and architecture and still is today. When Moholy-Nagy began teaching at the Bauhaus, it marked the end of its expressionistic era, and concentrated on architecture and industrial integration. Due largely to the industrial revolution, materials like cast iron and plastics were become easier to work with and faster to assemble. The Bauhaus understood the shift in technology and were pioneers in utilizing this technology in their art. They designed practically with these new materials such things as furniture, setting examples that are still used today. Moholy-Nagy was especially
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian constructivist who was gifted in most forms of the visual arts. He was born in 1895 and raised in the city of Bachsbarsad, Hungary and studied law in Hungary's capital of Budapest. He began his artistc venture during his service in World War I with sketches on military-issue postcards, and produced a versatile catalog of works throughout his life. He was skilled in design, sculpture, painting, photography, and more. He was also a member of the prestigious Bauhaus faculty in Weimar, Germany. In 1937, Moholy-Nagy became director of the New Bauhaus in Chicago and lived there until he died of leukemia in 1946. Moholy-Nagy was an important figure in 20th century art and concentrated much of his work on the integration of art and technology. Although Moholy-Nagy was one of the most influential artists of his time, his work is only vaguely recalled because it employed so many different mediums and never established a prominence in any one specifically. (Goethe Institute, p. 52)
Moholy-Nagy was a prominent member of the Bauhaus faculty, replacing Johannes Itten as instructor of the schools preliminary course in 1924. Walter Gropius, the schools director, wanted a shift from the Bauhaus' current expressionistic style to more of its original aim at industrial engineering. The Bauhaus was very influential on most modern art and architecture and still is today. When Moholy-Nagy began teaching at the Bauhaus, it marked the end of its expressionistic era, and concentrated on architecture and industrial integration. Due largely to the industrial revolution, materials like cast iron and plastics were become easier to work with and faster to assemble. The Bauhaus understood the shift in technology and were pioneers in utilizing this technology in their art. They designed practically with these new materials such things as furniture, setting examples that are still used today. Moholy-Nagy was especially
Cited: 1. Goethe Institute, The German Avant-Garde Films of the 1920s Munchen, 1989 2. Wikipedia (Internet) Laszlo Moholy-Nagy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laszlo_Moholy_Nagy 3. Whitford, Frank, Bauhaus, Thames and Hudson, New York, NY 4. www.Moholy-Nagy.org, Statement of Purpose 5. The Fiery Stimulator http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1733328,00.html?gusrc=rss#article_co ntinue 6. Laszlo Moholy-Nagy @ American Art http://americanart.si.edu/collections/exhibits/abstraction/moholyNagy.html