erinnnavas

'The New Bauhaus: The Life & Legacy of Moholy-Nagy' does an excellent job of exposing the widespread influence of Moholy's work on the lives of Americans and its lasting impact and influence on modern design today. The documentary places Moholy's influence into a global context, from his work in Germany to his movement to Chicago on American culture. The documentary mixes archival materials such as interviews with primary individuals who directly interacted with Moholy and individuals who were influenced by his work and strategies. A look at recent retrospectives of Moholy's work also emphasizes the outsize impact Moholy had from a technical and personal level, focused on developing the whole person. The documentary provides an interpretation of Moholy's perspective on the arts, using design to convey the importance of the process of creating art whether that pertains to the ergonomics of products and their direct application to life or the transformative process of photography. Moholy's ambition and tenacity can not be overstated. This was emphasized as the documentary describing the development of the School of Design which showed how Moholy's professional ambition was at the service of the individual. The School was playful but successful, experimental and cutting edge. The film shifted my perspective on design as a whole, and encouraged me to think about the process and connection of art and its application. One critique that we had about the documentary was so centered on the positive aspects of Moholy's influence, which might be a little limiting. Nevertheless, the film felt comprehensive and accessible.