László Moholy-Nagy’s “Light Prop for an Electric Stage (Light-Space Modulator)” in Motion

One of the earliest electrically powered kinetic sculptures, “Light Prop for an Electric Stage” (1930) holds a central place in the history of modern sculpture. Representing the culmination of László Moholy-Nagy’s experimentation at the Bauhaus, it incorporates his interest in technology, new materials, and, above all, light.

Moholy-Nagy sought to revolutionize human perception and thereby enable society to better apprehend the modern technological world. He presented “Light Prop” at a 1930 exhibition of German design as a mechanism for generating “special lighting and motion effects” on a stage. The rotating construction produces a startling array of visual effects when its moving and reflective surfaces interact with the beam of light. The sculpture became the subject of numerous photographs as well as Moholy’s abstract film “Lightplay: Black, White, Gray (1930).” Over the years the artist and later the museums made alterations to the sculpture to keep it in working order. It is still operational today.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:

+ László Moholy-Nagy, “Light Prop for an Electric Stage (Light-Space Modulator),” 1930, sculpture, Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, BR56.5, © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn:

https://hvrd.art/o/299819

VIDEO—László Moholy-Nagy’s “Light Prop for an Electric Stage (Light-Space Modulator)” in Motion: https://vimeo.com/111474831

VIDEO—Student Guide John Wang on Moholy-Nagy: https://vimeo.com/165355142

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© President and Fellows of Harvard College. Video: Danny Hoshino. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at [email protected].

Part of records transfer HUAM.RECORDS.2018.47. Contact the Archives at [email protected] for more information. ArchivesSpace reference ID comm20180807_031.