Beschreibung:

MOHOLY-NAGY, László (1895-1946). Series of seven autograph letters signed ('M-N') to Frantisek Kalivoda, Berlin, 27 February -- 9 October 1935, including three sketches within text of paintings, and a sketched design for the outer covers of the special edition of Telehor , altogether 18 pages, 4° and folio (letter of 9 October incomplete lacking termination); envelopes; together with a typescript signed by Moholy-Nagy, an introduction to an exhibition on Dutch fabric production, March 1935, one page, folio; and typescript article by Kalivoda on the relationship between the artist and the city of Brünn, 1965, in Czech and German; [ and :] L. Moholy-Nagy . Brno: [ Telehor ] Fr. Kalivoda, 1936. 4° (296 x 210mm). Text in Czech, German, English and French. 67 reproductions of collages, constructions and photographs by Moholy-Nagy. (Preliminary leaf partially detached and with slight stain at lower corner, last two leaves with short marginal tear.) Original black wrappers with the artist's name printed in white on upper cover, spiral binding (upper cover detached). Provenance : Presentation copy (upper right hand corner of title inscribed 'From L. Moholy Nagy/1936' and with name of recipient, F. Digby Firth, stamped above). A special number of Telehor , 'the international review new vision,' devoted to Moholy-Nagy. A detailed correspondence on the publication of special edition of Telehor devoted to Moholy-Nagy. The tone is throughout very positive, and the correspondence begins with praise of the recipient's work, 'It's amazing what you manage to achieve', and of a prospective title, 'The title "thesis -- antithesis -- synthesis" is wonderfully Marxist -- or Hegelian', and declaring that 'My one desire is, through telepathy and telesympathy, to make your work easy and pleasant'. Subsequent letters go into considerable detail on the techniques of colour printing in the production of the review: Moholy-Nagy is concerned that 'Picture II looks a bit slack, and the background to picture I is too busy'; he discusses the use of coloured backgrounds and sketches one of his paintings which works well on a grey-brown canvas. By a letter of 10 June he is returning proofs and looking forward to a dummy, with great pleasure; the same letter considers at length the mechanics of financing the project, and ends with sketches of a further two works, and notes about their production; he remarks that he will be seeing [Ben] Nicholson within the next few days. In letters in the course of August, Moholy-Nagy is in a holiday mood, giving an exuberant account of a house-party at which Max Ernst and the architect Goldfinger are also present, and looking forward to a visit to England to learn a new three-colour process. In a letter of 25 August, Moholy-Nagy sends suggestions for the cover of the review, with a sketch, suggesting a dark-blue or black cover, with his name in 'beton oder weltantiqua oder memphis', in white shadowed in red. The final (incomplete) letter concerns the English translation of the text, and minor corrections. (2)