Laszlo Moholy-Nagy: Painting and Bio-politics Public
Gibson, Stephanie Michelle (2012)
Published
Abstract
Abstract
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy: Painting and Bio-politics
This thesis examines the inherent contradiction between Laszlo
Moholy-Nagy's social
and political ideology and his visual art and attempts to offer
possible solutions to resolve it.
Through an examination of his art and claims I show how
Moholy-Nagy's paintings do not
function according to his biological theory and I discuss ways in
which his abstract pictures can
function by viewing his art and claims separately. Moholy-Nagy
began his artistic career
painting "loosely" realist pictures; however in 1919 he felt that
representational pictures were
compromised in their efforts to visually re-build society.
Paradoxically, he decided to move from
realist art to abstract painting in hopes of awakening the senses
of the viewer and thus
alleviating the pain of humanity. It is through abstract art that
he felt he could produce what he
called "biological happiness" for a suffering society and thus
rebuild society. Moholy-Nagy felt
that in order to do this, art must appeal to the basic laws of a
man's being. Although he attempted
to penetrate the inner workings of man and restore balance to man's
life through his abstract
work, it is hard to believe that this actually occurs. Despite the
fact that Moholy-Nagy moved
from representational painting to abstract art to support his
claims of political revolution, his bio-
politics and thus his abstract pictures in fact weaken his
argument. Moholy-Nagy's belief about
biology undoubtedly carries serious implications. This thesis
challenges these implications and
offers alternate ways to view Moholy-Nagy's work.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………
1
Part
II………………………………………..
2
Part
III………………………………………
12
Part
IV……………………………………….
26
Bibliography……………………………….34
About this Honors Thesis
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