Anni and Josef Albers were two of the most influential figures of 20th-century modernism. Anni was a textile artist, and Josef was a professor and artist in glass, metal, wood, and photography, in addition to being the creator of one of the most important explanations of color theory principles, The Interaction of Color.
A new book and exhibition (opening tomorrow! – Friday, February 3rd at the Yale University Art Gallery) examines the intersections between the Alberses’ art-making and art-collecting strategies. Over many decades, Anni and Josef made numerous trips to Latin America and amassed a large collection of ancient artworks from the region. The book and exhibition look at these objects in depth and consider how Anni and Josef’s collection supported their aesthetic sensibilities and teaching practice. Also included are dozens of works that the couple made, including textiles, paintings, works on paper, and rarely studied photographs that Josef took at archaeological sites and museums. Demonstrating the Alberses’ deep and sustained engagement with ancient American art, Small-Great Objects explores a fascinating dimension of the couple’s creative vision.
This podcast offers a lively and thorough discussion of the Alberses’ travels and the artwork they collected.
Further reading:
Burning With Passion: Selected Poems from Catullus