Untitled 1940

This image, by György Kepes, uses light, shadow, and found objects to make something really special. It's an image constructed from lenses and a gridded base, all caught in a beam of light. I think about Kepes arranging these things in his studio, probably moving them around a bunch, trying to get it just right. It makes me wonder what he was thinking as he played with the light and form. Was it a playful act or a really serious one? The geometric forms interact with the softer, distorted shapes created by the lenses. The contrasts here are amazing. It reminds me a little bit of Moholy-Nagy, but in a world all its own. Each artist, after all, is in dialogue with the past, riffing and expanding on the ideas of others. Ultimately, I think it reflects how we all, as artists, are in this ongoing conversation, constantly exchanging ideas and inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.