Light graphic is the English translation of the German word “Lichtgrafik”. A light graphic is the result of a multi-stage artistic process, which’s first step is usually the creation of a photogram.

Like the creation of a photogram, the creation of a light graphic in the darkroom does not involve the use of a photo camera. Therefore, light graphic is a form of darkroom photography or camera-less photography. Since the process is multi-step and the result is visible only after the photosensitive material is developed, chance is an important factor in the creation of a light graphic.

How is a light graphic created?

Light graphic artist Kurt Wendlandt processed his original photograms using the following techniques:

• Scratching out lines, areas or structures using a razor blade
• painting with a brush or grease pencil
• copying the processed photogram from film onto a new film or photo paper and processing it again
• Double exposure
• cutting up of the film material
• combining positives and negatives in a collage
• combining negatives of different size, sharpness and gradation
• Local re-exposure of the photographic material with a flashlight (solarization effect)
• Covering of certain areas with stencils

For covering certain areas or copying together different photograms or films, Kurt Wendlandt’s light graphics table featured a second level and he used a holder for film material in the enlarger.

Important light graphic artists (Lichtgrafiker)

The most famous light graphic artists are the German photographer Heinz Hajek-Halke and the German painter and graphic artist Kurt Wendlandt. In the 1960’s, both were part of the avantgarde light graphic scene in West-Berlin. They showed their Lichtgrafik artworks together in exhibitions (e.g. the exhibition Lichtgrafik at the Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin in 1969) and Heinz Hajek-Halke wrote the introduction to one of Kurt Wendlandt’s exhibition of light graphics. Later, their light graphics were exhibited in important museums (e.g. Hajek-Halke in the Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2002 or Wendlandt in the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, 1977).
Today, light graphics by Heinz Hajek-Halke and Kurt Wendlandt are part of collections of famous museums of modern art (e.g. Wendlandt in the Berlinische Galerie, Berlin).