This career-spanning exhibition catalog reveals the enormous artistic achievements—both individual and shared—of two of the greatest pioneers of twentieth-century modernism.
Featuring more than two hundred and fifty works, including paintings, photographs, drawings, textiles and furniture, this essential volume traces the creative development of Josef and Anni Albers—both instrumental figures in the development of modernism and abstract art. Illustrated profusely throughout, this book features contributions from leading experts in chapters exploring the couple’s relationship and important aspects of their professional partnership, including their meeting at the Bauhaus School and their influential years at Black Mountain College in North Carolina.
Wide-ranging essays examine topics such as the influence of Pre-Colombian art; Josef’s masterwork Homage to the Square; Anni’s jewelry and works on paper; Josef’s famed classes at Yale University; and Anni’s years as a graphic designer after her husband’s death. Both artists are celebrated for their lasting achievements in their respective fields—Josef for his color theory classes at Yale, Anni for her innovative use of unconventional materials.
Readers will come away with an appreciation for the Albers’ experimentation and innovation; their collaboration and teamwork; their dedication to education and mentorship; and the many ways their work challenged the status quo and continues to inspire artists to do the same.