olats.org - Pionniers & Précurseurs - LASZLO MOHOLY-NAGY

Photograms

Photograms, photographies printed without the aid of a camera, were " rediscovered " by Man Ray as well as by Moholy-Nagy, at the beginning of the 1920's, before the two men had even met each other. They undertook their experiments simultaneously and independently from one another. However, it was " In 1835 " that " Fox Talbot made the first crude photogram by laying lace on a paper treated with photo-sensitive emulsion. " (Moholy-Nagy 1947 : 187) According to Moholy-Nagy, for one to become a good photographer, it was esssential to master the proprieties of this light sensitive emulsion.

In his book Vision in Motion (1947), Moholy-Nagy introduces the reader to all the stages pertaining to the creation and production of a photogram. Thus, it becomes very clear, that the light effects " mysteries ", as well as a consideration for space, were at the heart of Moholy-Nagy's research and preoccupations for most of the experiments that he conducted all through his life.

" The photogram understood as a diagrammatic record of the motion of light translated into black and white and gray values can lead to a grasp of new types of spatial relationships and spatial rendering. The receding and advancing values of the gradations, which are projections of the 'light tracks', can be used for space - that is, space-time - articulation.

Architecture and the motion picture, both of which operate with light, should find new insight in that articulation. " (Moholy-Nagy 1947 : 188, 189)

It is important to point out, that Moholy-Nagy always believed that the photogram technique should not only be the exclusive domain of a small elite of experts. Moholy-Nagy considered, in fact, that the photogram was far from being a sophisticated process, and therefore could appeal equally to the specialist as well as to the layman.

The understanding of spatial and light values being at the core of the multiple avenues the camera could offer, Moholy-Nagy was convinced that the skills developped through the photogram's technique invariably led to the masterful use of the camera. He said that " Good photography with the camera, must enable us to capture the patterned interplay of light and shadow exactly as in cameraless photography. Thus photography becomes the translation of a world saturated with light and colour into black, white and grey gradations. " (Moholy-Nagy 1947 : 190)