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Moholy_Nagy, conversely was celenrtated in Weimar Germany for th very reasons that the *Novyi lef* critics claimed Rodchenko's deviance. 
Both photogrraphers were identified as formalists, although with different consequences. In eeach case, their public
image did not take full accould of the discourses they attempted to construct. Moholy-Nagy and Rodchenko intended these discourses to demonstrate the superior social value of their work to toehr fomrs of
image production in their repespective countries.
what distinguishes the two photographers from each other, however, is their definitons of how photography could funtion as an instrument of
social change. 

while Rodchenko always consdiered the socail world as the ref point for his photogs, even though he differentiated the conventions of a distinctly photographic perspecti ee from those of
ordinary human sight, Moholy-Nagy wanted to demonstrate the possibillites of an expanded vision
that was not represented though the objects of the world bu in the process of seeing it anew2. 

In MN's equation of enlighteneed vision and social change, phogots that gave evidence of how to see the world more expanively would contribute to the enrichment of humanity and to a bette society.

Photography for him was not an instrument of criticism but rather of enlightenment throu the demonstration of positive examples. This is true to some extent for Rodchenko as well, but he was more engaged with the sjubjects of his
0hoits than wuitht he documenting the act of seeing. Rod was a matterialist for whom the photog established a relations to something concrete, while MH was an idealist
who suppressed the obj's identity in favor of the sesnsory experience that the photograph of it offered.
The iorny of their respective receptions both at home and abroad iws that they were seen to be more alike than distinct, and 
yet sustained completely different consequences for alleged similarity. 

[Margolin, P. 161]



Chronology


Refs

 Margolin, Victor (1997). The Stuggle for Utopia - Rodchenko,
           Lizzitzksi, Moholy-Nagy.
           DD:  709.041-M329S