Abstract imagery incorporating experimental lighting effects was of great interest to avant-garde photographers from the 1920s to the 1950s. This exhibition features photographs by international artists devoted to the practice, including László Moholy-Nagy, Francis Bruguière, Man Ray, Tōyō Miyatake, Asahachi Kono, and Jaromír Funke. The selection of works demonstrates the dynamic interplay between still photography, experimental film, and the dazzling time-based artworks by Thomas Wilfred called “Lumia instruments.”
This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.
Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024, presenting more than 60 exhibitions from organizations across the region exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art
Selected Works
VIDEO
What Is a Lumia Instrument?
Artist Thomas Wilfred created compositions of sculptured light with a device he called a “Lumia Instrument.” Watch to experience this unique art form through a visit to a collector’s home.
PST x Getty x Smarthistory: Avant-garde Light Explosures
What would it be like to create art using light? Join experts as they investigate a 1920s avant-garde photographers’ great interest in abstract imagery created through experimental light exposures.
Exhibition Resources
Learn more about the exhibition.
To request a checklist of objects, please contact: photographs@getty.edu.
Information on Getty Museum works of art can be found through a
collection search