Josef Albers in America: Paintings on Paper
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Individual Artists
Josef Albers in America: Paintings on Paper Details
Josef Albers' rigorous investigations into color have had a decisive effect on art in the twentieth century and beyond. His teaching posts at the Bauhaus, Black Mountain College and Yale enabled him to bequeath his theories to several generations of artists and designers, from Max Bill and Mark Rothko to Eva Hesse and Ray Johnson. Published for an exhibition at the Morgan library, and with an abundance of previously uncollected works, this volume unveils the full bounty of Albers' works on paper: lithographs, linocuts, woodcuts, screenprints and etchings. Since the prints lack the just-visible brushwork of Albers' paintings, allowing color to emerge without surface blemish, some have argued that they constitute a more effective illustration of his color theory.
Reviews
Alber's paintings on paper were a revelation to me. I was fortunate enough to have taken a Color Theory course years ago from one of Josef Alber's students and have taught his ideas for years based on that course and my own investigations of color in painting. The works on paper give the reader a clue about the thought processes of the artist because these studies are spontaneous and casual compared to his more formal paintings. Some studies include writing--thoughts and ideas about the interaction of color--and they all show an intuitive capacity that is not apparent in the finished works of art. There is a lot of history here plus great reproductions. It seems to me that any artist or art student would be interested in this book.
