Oskar Schlemmer in Ascona 1926

László Moholy-Nagy captured this image of Oskar Schlemmer in Ascona using photography, a medium deeply intertwined with industrialization. Photography democratized image-making, making it accessible beyond the traditional art world. Here, the stark black-and-white palette emphasizes the play of light and shadow, transforming ordinary materials into an almost abstract composition. The metal grid, likely mass-produced, casts a geometric pattern on Schlemmer's clothing, blurring the lines between the figure and the architectural space. Consider the labor involved not just in the photographer's act of capturing the image, but also in the manufacture of the photographic materials themselves, from the film to the chemicals used in processing. Moholy-Nagy was attuned to the socio-political implications of industrial materials and processes. By elevating everyday materials and images, Moholy-Nagy challenged traditional hierarchies in art, inviting us to see beauty and meaning in the most unexpected places.