Behind the Back of the Gods 1928

László Moholy-Nagy made this collage, a photograph of a photograph, Behind the Back of the Gods, at a time of great experimentation. I imagine Moholy-Nagy cutting and pasting, shifting and aligning the figures, with each placement creating a new set of relations. There's this large dark circle, and within it, two figures are intertwined. What are they up to? A line descends to another figure dangling in space, then to a final cluster of dark marks at the base. It's like a strange, unsettling mobile, isn't it? The title, Behind the Back of the Gods, seems to ask, what happens when no one is watching? What kind of world can be created? It reminds me that every artist borrows, steals, or riffs off of others to create something new. And that paintings can be an invitation to play, experiment, and embrace uncertainty.