Bauhaus Photographers

The Bauhaus photographers (1919–1933) have been described by scholars as one of the most influential and experimental groups of artists in the 20th century. They were a part of the larger Bauhaus School, which thrived in Germany during the famous Weimar Republic, the liberal government that was set up after World War I. Bauhaus was established in 1919 in Weimar, moved to Dessau in 1925, then to Berlin in 1932. One of the most progressive groups of artists and designers in 1920s Germany, the Bauhaus School [Page 223]believed in furthering Modernism and freethinking. Their talents spanned across a number of disciplines, particularly architecture, art, design, and photography. Unlike others in these areas, the Bauhaus believed that all art and design should exist to promote a more harmonious society and foster human connections. They accomplished this by highlighting a more human effect to their work, experimenting with bright colors, using newer and lighter materials, and emphasizing the relationships society would have with their work rather than just its functionality.

The Bauhaus photographers Andreas Feininger, Florence Henri, László and Lucia Moholy-Nagy, and Grete Stern carried these beliefs along with their passion for experimentation in their photographs. Although photos had existed for quite some time, it was not until the turn of the 20th century that the act of taking pictures was brought to attention. Most early photos (pre–20th century) were portraits that emphasized great events in history or were records of family lineage. Bauhaus photographers were interested in capturing real life. They were some of the first photographers to take self-portraits and action shots, pictures of everyday activities that were unstaged and unexpected. Often they were the subjects of their photos, since they lived and worked together.

Bauhaus photographers were fascinated with experimentation and pushing the limits of a picture, playing with lighting, different developing effects, and shooting at unusual angles. They were interested in the body and took some of the first critical photos of nudes, using natural light and shadows to create an almost fantastical quality to the human body.

They also kept the idea of fostering human connections as the basis for their work. They viewed their photos not only as historical documents but also as celebrations of human relationships, citing a responsibility to contribute to society in this way.

In 1933, Germany was met with the rise of the Nazi Party. Movements like the Bauhaus were pushed out of Berlin and seen as a threat by the new regime. Much of their work was hidden and taken out of Germany by the artists and are thankfully available for viewing today. The rest was seized and destroyed by the Nazis.

The Bauhaus influence thrives today, with scholars finding the photographs and their makers to be prime examples of the beauty of Modernism and the Weimar Republic. Today's artists continue to be influenced by the Bauhaus's experimentations with light, shadow, and angle as well as how a subject in a photo can foster greater human connection.