Josef Albers is a German artist I am a great fan of, him along with his German-American partner and fellow artist, Anni Albers. Both were students and teachers at the Bauhaus, with Josef specializing in abstract painting and Anni in textiles.
I can only dream of the kind of youth they had, studying under Johannes Itten (Swiss abstractionist painter, color theorist and part of the Weimar Bauhaus), brushing shoulders with Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky– becoming masters of crafts.
Thoughts:
Most of the painted layers for the square paintings were layered on from center to outwards. There were some where Albers changed up his layering process for, which was very interesting– occasionally he’ll make the smallest center square as the final (top) layer.
If anyone could help me get Josef Albers’ Midnight and Noon book (it’s sold out), I would be extremely grateful.
Very interesting in person:
morning day-dream
There’s a small part of me that always wonders if I pursued the creative route.. what would life have been like?
What would life be like with a partner who is equally or more in love with art? What it’d be like for us to chase visions and beauty
Bauhaus: Zeitschrift fur Gestaltung (Dessau, Germany), Year 2, nos. 2-3 (1928), Edited by Ernst Kallai, Published by Hannes Meyer
I loved the story behind this artwork so much. The photographed man was involved in the design of some project involving pool, but was not permitted to utilize-enter the pool because he was Jewish. His friend creates this collage piece with him in pool. The work is an impressive act of protest– and one that signals the dignity of the subject:
Another collage I liked, this one the size of a palm:
I appreciate how much the exhibit focused on showing the final versions and the maquettes of magazine pages and spreads.
A maquette for Plan for Socialist Offensive magazine spread, for 30 Days, no. 11 (1929) by Latvian Gustav Klutsis
As someone is largely self-taught-teaching-herself art, these maquettes and the finished magazines offer a fascinating view into process.
Plan for Socialist Offensive, in 30 days, no. 11 (1929) by Latvian Gustav Klutsis
I loved the design of these postcards:
Postcard for the exhibition Dommerstock Housing Estate: The Functional Dwelling (1929) by German artist Kurt Schwitters
Poster Designs:
Poster designer (unrealized) for Exhibition of the Bielefeld School of Arts and Crafts (1927), Gelatin silver print with cut-and-pasted painted paper by German German graphics, typeface and postage stamp designer Georg Trump
Poster for dance festival at the Second German Dance Congress, Essen Germany (1928) Lithograph by German artist/photographer Max Burchartz
painted with Gouache by German artist Erich Mrozek
Of lesser importance, but one that provided an opportunity for me to learn more about architecture (I’ve recently developed an interest in learning more about architecture as an acquaintance of mine is one).
Untitled (study for building) (1925), Ink, colored ink, gouache, and pencil on paper by German artist Fritz Schleifer