Lot Essay
In painting on plastic Moholy-Nagy evoked the tradition of stained-glass windows.
In working with these materials--uniformly colored,
opaque or transparent plastics--I made discoveries
which were instrumental in changing my painting
technique... By producing real radiant light effects
through transparent dyes on plastic and through other
means, one has no need for translating light into
color by painting with pigment. Light painting had
arrived... (L. Moholy-Nagy, from "Abstract of an
Artist," 1944; reprinted in K. Passuth, Moholy-
Nagy, London, 1985, pp. 381 and 382)
In working with these materials--uniformly colored,
opaque or transparent plastics--I made discoveries
which were instrumental in changing my painting
technique... By producing real radiant light effects
through transparent dyes on plastic and through other
means, one has no need for translating light into
color by painting with pigment. Light painting had
arrived... (L. Moholy-Nagy, from "Abstract of an
Artist," 1944; reprinted in K. Passuth, Moholy-
Nagy, London, 1985, pp. 381 and 382)