Oskar Fischinger

Oskar Fischinger was not only a painter but also an established filmmaker. He came to the U.S. from Nazi Germany in 1936 under contract from Paramount. He then worked with MGM and Disney Studios where he suggested the concept for Fantasia (released in 1940). An aesthetic disagreement caused Fischinger to leave during the production of the film. Disillusioned with the commercial world of film, Fischinger focused more time in his studio and continued experiments in film. In the late 1940s, Fischinger invented the Lumigraph, which was essentially a light-play instrument where colored beams served as a visual instrument and accompaniment to music. In his work, Fischinger aimed to explore the pure visual effects of emotional drama. Despite Fischinger’s turn to painting, he felt he was primarily a filmmaker and referred to painting as “only helpful studies for my film.” For more information, click

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Text © Laguna Art Museum, 2019