A work by the pioneer of kinetic light art has been added to the foundation’s collection
The Foundation Herbert W. Franke is very proud to now own a work by Frank Malina. The Foundation would like to thank Roger Malina for this exceptional gift from 1952. Frank’s early painting, whose work is courtesy of RCM Galerie in Paris, will now become part of the Franke & Friends collection.
This gouache, an early work by Malina that was still conventionally painted on board, is characteristic of his early works. The colors and shapes are reminiscent of the first psychedelic works by psychologists who were concerned with perception. A subject that fascinated Frank Malina. He was an avid reader of Aldous Huxley and of the works of the perceptual psychologist James Gibson, who also became an editorial advisor to “Leonardo”.
As early as the 1950s, Malina began to incorporate light effects into his works, making him a pioneer of kinetic art. Painted Plexiglas was illuminated with light sources moved by motors. The subjects of this part of his works were also often inspired by science and cosmic themes.
Frank Malina, who had been in personal contact with Herbert W. Franke since the 1960s, was not only an artist, but also a rocket pioneer and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena. In 1968, he also founded “Leonardo”, the world’s most important magazine at the interface between art and science. Herbert had already exchanged ideas with Frank Malina before he founded “Leonardo” and was on its advisory board for many years.