Pneumatik 1924

László Moholy-Nagy made this drawing, Pneumatik, using pencil, pen, and airbrush, though the exact date is unknown. It presents an experimental typography, with the title itself curved above the small car in the image. This piece can be contextualized within the social history of the Bauhaus, where Moholy-Nagy taught. The Bauhaus was a hugely influential German art school that operated in the 1920s and early 30s. It sought to unify art, craft, and technology. Images like Pneumatik sought to explore new possibilities for design through typography and visual communication. It reflects a broader interest in avant-garde movements like constructivism that sought to apply art to practical purposes, and to integrate it into everyday life. Historians of art and design use manifestos, school publications, and student work to understand the Bauhaus’s goals, methods, and social impact.