Josef Albers Serigraph from "Formulation: Articulation," 1972

Item Details

Josef Albers (German/American, 1888 – 1976)
Untitled (Portfolio 1, Folder 8, Image 1), 1972
Serigraph on paper
Unsigned
Pulled from Formulation: Articulation
Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Printed by Ives-Sillman, Inc.
Blind stamp to folder label on verso
Trimmed caption and copyright text from folio folder are affixed to the verso as labels
Authorized reproduction printed and published in collaboration with the artist

Josef Albers was an influential 20th century artist who is highly regarded for his Modernist work, color theory and innovative teaching. He gained wide public recognition through his series Homage to the Square, produced in 1950 until his death in 1976, leading to the first retrospective of a living artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1971. Through the repetitive use of this single geometric composition, Albers systematically explored the interactions of color and its effect on the viewer. He typically painted his finished works in this series with a palette knife, spreading thin layers of paint straight from the tube, starting from the center square and working towards the outer edge, never layering his color. He developed extensive theories on the matter which were published in his 1963 book Interaction of Color where he proposed that “…color rather than form is the primary medium of the pictorial language”. Throughout his career Albers traveled extensively across the United States as a visiting professor and lecturer, and his work resides in the permanent collections of numerous prestigious institutions including the Guggenheim, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art and more.

Condition

- scratched ink at lower right of print; light dust accumulation to glazing.

Dimensions

- measures frame; visible image measures 17.0" W x 6.0" H.

Item #

ITMG818637