Moholy-Nagy and visual experiments in Texas

I hosted a series of four art talks in the high desert exploring bleeding-edge artistic ideas and technique. For The Present Age, I examined László Moholy-Nagy's philosophy and his focus on how he integrated scientific tools into art, expanding perception in new ways.

My talk narrowed to a curious historical moment: Moholy-Nagy's visit to a women's college in Denton, Texas in 1942. This visit sparked the creation of the first studio art program in the Texas public university system and catalysed early modern art throughout the region.

Pulling from his writing and letters, I pointed to Moholy-Nagy's perspectives on art education and traced his influence on Texas modernism and women artists. I also shared personal reflections from viewing his work in Budapest and Los Angeles, and followed the thread to his collaboration with György Kepes at MIT and the founding of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies.

My title for the talk, The Present Age, carried a double meaning, referencing both our current moment and the journal Jelenkor ("The Present Age") that Moholy-Nagy worked with whilst recovering from war injuries in 1917. I made the case that this connects us to today's expanding visual sensing technologies, such as drones, telescopes, and satellite imaging, echoing earlier artistic explorations of perception and expanded human sensing capabilities.

Thank you Murray Hall for the space and accommodation for this salon-style talk!

Connected projects: This presentation was part of a high desert art talk series I produced examining bleeding-edge ideas across eras. View more at There Goes Another Millennium, Truly Human Technology, Fantastic Border.

Themes: Integration of art and technology, knowledge transfer, expanded perception through new media