Photography's Golden Age: 1920s-1950s
A dossier in artpress examines photography's 'golden age' from the 1920s to the 1950s, arguing that the medium had to first 'die' to realism before being truly embraced by artists. The 1920s and 1930s are often called photography's 'second birth,' but the text contends that photography first had to dissolve into Dadaist montages and cameraless works by artists like Schad, Moholy-Nagy, and Man Ray to gain artistic legitimacy.
Key facts
- The dossier covers photography from the 1920s to the 1950s.
- The 1920s and 1930s are referred to as photography's 'second birth.'
- The text argues photography had to abandon realism to be accepted as art.
- Dadaist montages and cameraless photographs were key to this transformation.
- Artists mentioned include Schad, Moholy-Nagy, and Man Ray.
- The source is artpress, published November 1, 1986.
Entities
Artists
- Schad
- László Moholy-Nagy
- Man Ray
Institutions
- artpress
Sources
- artpress —