Josef Albers

Who was the man who repeatedly painted squares? The one who created over 2000 Homages to the Square according to the same rigorous principle until the end of his life, varying only the colors? Josef Albers (1888-1976) came from a family of craftsmen. He grew up in Bottrop and would become one of the most influential artists of the 20th century in the USA. English art critic Charles Darwent delves into the work and personality of a man full of contradictions, who nonetheless created an oeuvre of great clarity, coherence, and beauty. At the Bauhaus, Albers met his future wife Anni, a gifted textile artist. He is a combative spirit, speaking his mind. He quickly befriends Wassily Kandinsky, but Johannes Itten remains a "fool" to him, and László Moholy-Nagy is a red rag. In 1933, the Albers family moved to America. He despises groups and collective thinking, yet he carefully nurtures his friendships throughout his life. He has countless affairs, always clear that he belongs to Anni. He is undoubtedly one of the significant art teachers of the 20th century; many of his American students achieved worldwide fame as artists. Painting a Homage to the Square is as easy as making a sandwich, he claimed. In reality, these paintings are complex works in their own right. What is the secret behind them? Why are they art—and not just a color sandwich transferred onto canvas? Charles Darwent explores these questions in an entertaining, intelligent, and equally sensitive and exciting way. Finally, there is a long-overdue homage and biography of one of the most important German artists and art teachers of the 20th century! With a specially written afterword for the German edition by Heinz Liesbrock on the topic of "Albers and Germany.".