Vision in motion : the complexities of time, space and motion experienced in the artwork and practice of len lye and laszlo moholy-nagy

Abstract

Vision in Motion is a lasting theoretical proposal left by one of Modernism's great artists - Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Operating as an account of the curriculum for The Institute of Design, which he founded in Chicago, Vision in Motion proposes a democratic vision of self-expression, one that emphasises the necessity of integrating art with life. His proposal that we learn to utilise all our sensory capacities and to see everything in relationship, emphasises simultaneity and motion through the interconnection of space and time. In doing so Moholy-Nagy proposes a theory of perception and of change, which is dynamic and fitting for the modern age. This thesis will propose that another artist operating in similar fields at the same time was intuitively exploring many of these ideas: Len Lye; a New Zealander whose art practice paralleled and intersected with Moholy-Nagy's as an experimental film maker and kinetic sculptor. Where Moholy-Nagy's life-long pursuit was of the expression of light, Lye's was of motion, but both artists shared similar complexities in their work in regards to the treatment of space and time, responding to the annihilation of time and space as a result of 19th century technological and scientific developments. Yann Beauvais' essay "Rapports entre Len Lye et Moholy-Nagy" is the departure point for this thesis, using the concept of 'Vision in Motion' to investigate further the conjectures and differences between these two artists. In doing so this thesis aims to demonstrate that Lye was the exemplary artist that Moholy-Nagy theorised about, adding further prominence to the recognition of Lye as one of the great visionaries of interdisciplinary practice and Modernism. Show more