Page 37 - Studio International - July August 1975

Production-Reproduction

L. Moholy-Nagy

This early statement by Moholy-Nagy, originally published in
DE STIJL V/7, July 1922, has its roots in Russian Productivist
ideas. It provides the basis for all his subsequent work as an artist,
writer and teacher, though the concepts used were later more finely
differentiated and the framework was broadened out. The essay has
never before appeared in English, but some of the points reappear in
a 1925 Bauhaus book which has been published in an English edition,
Painting Photography Film.

If we are to gain an adequate The equipment could be opened up to More sophisticated examples can be
understanding of the expressive and productive ends by bypassing the found in the work of Ruttmann and in
formal means of art and other related mechanical recording process. One Thomas Wilfrid's Clavilux*, but there
areas of creative activity, as a basis for could incise the grooves in the wax plate the motion appears as an abstract drama
further development, then we have to oneself. The kind of sound effects (abstraction or stylization of erotic or
investigate the relevant factors : man played back would, in terms of natural events), though it does involve
himself, and the media he uses in his composition and of the concept of music, the attempt to include coloured imagery.
creative endeavours. imply a fundamental renewal of the The most sophisticated work to date is
Man is a synthesis of all his sensory means of producing sounds (new, as yet that of Eggeling and Richter, where in
faculties, ie at any given stage he is most non-existent sounds and sound place of dramatic action we find a
perfect when his constituent faculties relationships) without new instruments specially-created play of forms, though
are developed to the limit of their and without an orchestra. to the detriment of motion as a creative
potential — cells just as much as the most The basic premise of such work is element. For motion here is not created
complicated organs. experimental in the laboratory sense: pure; the over-emphasis on the
Art is instrumental in this development close examination of the different development of formal elements
— and this is one of the most important characteristics produced in the groove by absorbs nearly all the impetus of motion.
roles art has to play, since functioning as different sounds (length, breadth, The way forward from here is to create
a human totality depends on developing depth, etc.); investigation of one's own movement in space without recourse to
the senses to their fullest extent — for art independently produced grooves; and the development of formal elements in
attempts to create new relationships finally, work on mechanical processes to their own right.
between familiar and as yet unfamiliar perfect the manually developed language
data, optical, acoustic or whatever, and of the groove. (Possibly mechanical *The name refers to a kind of colour-organ,
forces us to take it all in through our reduction of larger hand-engraved plates.) but the concern here is with light-
sensory equipment. It is in the nature Photography. The camera captures projection on a surface, not in space.
(Translated by Caroline Fawkes)
of human existence that the senses are light effects by means of a silver-bromide
insatiable, that they reach out for more plate at the back. As yet we've only made
new experience every time they take use of this function of the camera in a
something in. This is the reason for the secondary sense: in order to capture
perpetual need for new modes of (reproduce) particular objects as they
creativity. From this point of view reflect or absorb the light. If we are to
creative endeavours are only valid if they bring our reassessment to bear on this,
produce new, as yet unfamiliar relationships. we shall have to use the light-
By this I mean that, from the creative sensitivity of the silver-bromide plate
point of view, the most we can say of to capture and fix light effects (moments
reproduction (the reiteration of in the play of light) produced by
relationships that already exist) is that it is manipulating mirrors or lenses, etc.
a question of virtuosity. A great deal of experiment is needed
Since it is above all production here. Astronomical photography using
(productive creativity) which has a role telescopic equipment, and X-ray
to play in human development, we must photography were interesting
turn to media which have up to now been precedents.
used only for reproductive purposes, and Film. Motion relationships in light-
try to open them up to productive ends. projection. These are brought about
This calls for a close analysis along the through a linear arrangement of frozen
lines suggested by the following partial movements. Film practice to date
questions : has concentrated mainly on the
What is this equipment medium for ? reproduction of dramatic action. There
has no doubt been much important work
What is the essence of its function ?
in film; in part of a scientific nature
Is it possible, and worthwhile, to open (the dynamics of various kinds of
it up so it can serve productive ends movement: human, animal, urban, etc;
as well ? observations of various kinds : of how
We can apply these questions to particular things function, of chemical action, etc;
instances: gramophone; photography: film newsreels, etc.); there has also been
the individual (static) image; film. some extension of the reproductive
Gramophone. As yet the function of function in a constructive direction, but
the gramophone has always been to the main challenge is to work with
reproduce existing acoustic phenomena. motion as such. It goes without saying
The sound modulations to be reproduced that, in order to do this, one has to create
are scratched into a wax plate with a a play of forms to carry the motion.
needle and then translated back into Animation work (advertising) can be
sound again with the aid of a microphone. seen as a naive attempt in this direction.
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