The New Vision movement of the 1920s and 1930s introduced a groundbreaking way of perceiving the world. It signified a rebellion against traditional photographic practices and embraced avant-garde experimentation and innovative techniques. László Moholy-Nagy, a prominent artist and influential teacher at the Bauhaus in Germany, coined the term “New Vision” during this period of artistic expansion. This term now encompasses the photographic advancements that emerged between the two World Wars across Europe, America, and beyond. Photographers associated with New Vision emphasized inventive techniques such as photograms, photomontages, and light studies, producing images that highlighted extreme angles and unconventional viewpoints. These methods, which also tied into more defined movements like Surrealism, reflected a quest to discover and perceive different perspectives in the aftermath of World War I.
Currently, The High Museum in Atlanta is hosting an exhibition that unites over one hundred works from its photography collection, tracing the movement’s impact from its origins in the 1920s to the present day. This exhibition illustrates the enduring influence of New Vision on successive generations of photographers.
