Flower 1925

László Moholy-Nagy made this flower, probably sometime in the 1920s, using a photogram - meaning he placed the flower directly onto photographic paper and exposed it to light. The result is like a ghostly x-ray. It's all about light and shadow, a stark contrast between the solid black background and the luminous, almost spectral, flower. Look closely, and you can see the delicate details of the petals and leaves rendered in shades of gray. This isn't just a picture of a flower, it's an index of light itself. The directness of this process is so appealing, bypassing the camera lens for a one-to-one record. The grainy texture adds to the mysterious quality, like looking at something ancient. Artists like Man Ray also experimented with photograms, and you can sense them, like Moholy-Nagy, pushing the boundaries of what photography could be. It’s about embracing the unexpected and finding beauty in simplicity.