In his Painting Photography Film, László Moholy-Nagy, a visionary Bauhaus teacher and artist, proposes a framework that positions photography and film as equals to traditional painting, challenging the conventions of fine art by exploring the potential of new media. Created during his tenure at the Bauhaus, this project situates Moholy-Nagy’s work within the progressive and experimental climate of the Weimar Republic, where industrialization and the rise of machine technology demanded a reevaluation of artistic practice. Deeply influenced by Constructivist ideas and the Bauhaus emphasis on uniting art with technology, Moholy-Nagy envisioned this project as a vision of an aesthetic that integrates artistic expression with technological advancements.
Moholy-Nagy’s central thesis in Painting Photography Film is the transformative capacity of photography and film to expand human perception, offering the potential to observe realities beyond the limitations of the naked eye. This New Vision theory, or Neues Sehen, encouraged artists to embrace the objective potential of these media as tools for examining and documenting the social, physical, and psychological dynamics of modern life. He argued that photography and film, far from being secondary to painting, have unique capabilities to engage viewers through innovative perspectives, unusual compositions, and manipulations of light and shadow. He asserted that these qualities enable viewers to perceive the familiar in new and dynamic ways, reflecting the mechanized energy of urban existence.
Stylistically, Painting Photography Film diverges from traditional visual art by embracing abstract, geometric, and avant-garde aesthetics. It includes examples of Moholy-Nagy’s pioneering photograms, camera-less photographs created by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper. These photograms, as well as his dynamic photomontages, convey a sense of immediacy and abstraction that invites viewers to question traditional expectations of realism and representation. Moholy-Nagy’s visual approach aligns with Bauhaus principles, emphasizing clean, linear designs and a high-contrast aesthetic that draws attention to the composition’s structural qualities. His work in monochromatic tones, influenced by the industrial hues of the urban landscape, further reinforces the connection between art and modern life.
Technically, Moholy-Nagy pushed the boundaries of photographic practice, employing techniques such as extreme angles, unconventional cropping, and experimental exposures that capture a fragmentary, fast-paced reality. His methodology embraced both the scientific and expressive capabilities of the camera, using it to explore the psychological and visual impact of light, movement, and perspective on perception. These innovations formed the foundation for what he saw as a new visual language that integrates scientific principles with artistic creativity.
Reception of Painting Photography Film shifted from early skepticism to broad acknowledgment of its role in defining the New Vision. Its arguments informed curatorial practice, culminating in Film und Foto (Stuttgart, 1929), where Moholy helped shape the opening section and showed an extensive body of work, which consolidated his program for a wider readership. Subsequent reprints and the English translation amplified its reach beyond the Bauhaus.
