In 2019, to celebrate 100 years of Bauhaus, Leica created the Leica CL “100 Jahre Bauhaus” limited edition camera. To launch it, a series of studies were done using geometric shapes from the camera’s composition. Each study was influenced by the techniques and theories conducted through workshops and classes by Bauhaus. Plaster sculpturing along with games featuring light, lithography and a hand-made grid for weaving—were all used to recreate the same laboratory aspect Bauhaus formerly utilized in its overall creative process. In the end, the entirety of the studies resulted in 5 families of posters, each with 3 unique pieces. The posters were exhibited in the Leica Store Boston and also given to buyers.

1/5: Permeation and Illumination

Inspired by the geometric elements of the Leica CL “100 Jahre Bauhaus,” we created simple shape sculptures in plaster to study three-dimensional thinking. We then carried out theoretical and practical studies investigating their characteristics and possible effects in contact with each other. These studies can also be deduced from the ‘Permeation and Illumination Study’ by Franz Ehrlich.

2/5: Form and Color Affinity

The relationship of color to form was of central significance to Kandinsky’s thinking. Based on his theories, we first deconstructed the Leica CL “100 Jahre Bauhaus” into squares, circles, and triangles with their respective colors.

According to Kandinsky, a dull shape like a circle deserves a dull color like blue. A shape with intermediate interest like a square deserves an intermediate color like red. A dynamic, interesting shape like a triangle deserves an exegetic, luminous, psychotic color like yellow.

3/5: Point and Line to Plane

Based on Kandinsky’s workshop about ”the most basic unit,” this study used the design of the Leica CL “100 Jahre Bauhaus” and reduced it to two of the most basic elements. With the point (the union of silence and speech), and the line (which is the result of a moving point), we studied the interaction between multiple lines on the “basic plane” to produce multiple compositions. Each litographic poster reveals a distinct internal dynamics among those elements.

4/5: Reflecting Colour-Light

An illuminated apparatus was constructed with various cardboard shapes taken from the Leica CL “100 Jahre Bauhaus” camera’s geometric forms. Templates in various colors were then superimposed and moved back and forth in front of a spotlight. The result was abstract patterns formed by the shadows on a transparent projection surface. The study was based on the discovery of dual warm and cold shadows as an optical phenomenon, and on the Schwerdtfeger and Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack system “Reflecting Plays of Colours”.

5/5: Weaving

Thanks to the work of Gunta Stolzl and her co-workers, the weaving workshop was one of the most successful and productive workshops at the Bauhaus. In our studies, we started from the elements of the Leica CL “100 Jarhe Bauhaus.” And in following the same techniques they used at Bauhaus, original designs for tapestry were created. All of the studies for color and form explorations were done using watercolor over a hand-made grid. Reproducing the exact same process the Bauhaus great feminine artists previously explored.

Recognition:

One Show | D&AD