Maholy-Nagy Short Response
Of all the artists we learned about, Maholy Nagy was the one whose work affected me most personally. His photogram images and very distinctive photographs seemed to almost transcend the medium of photography and become something like paintings or moving images. Even in his photographs of everyday people and objects, there is an element of the abstract; his use of canted framings, dramatic shadows and unusual compositions give his conventional subjects new context and beautiful irregularity. This aesthetic style is carried over into his photogram work, which I feel is stunning. By placing everyday objects in abstract arrangements and using the non-camera technique, the images took on luminescent and ethereal characteristics like memories or dreams.