Poodle Doodles : Illustrations By Linda Byrne: Josef Albers : To Open Eyes

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Josef Albers : To Open Eyes

Josef Albers, Bauhaus Master 1923 - 1933

Bauhaus Manifesto 1919-1923, written by Walter Gropius

New Bauhaus Building Dessau 1925/26

One of the finest art educators of the past century, Josef Albers started out his career as a primary school teacher before he enrolled as a student to study in the prestigious Weimar Bauhaus in 1920. In 1923 he was approached by the schools director Walter Gropius, and asked to teach on the preliminary course, known as the Vorkus, when Johannes Itten resigned. Albers took charge of the Design Course on the Vorkus, educating students on the versatility of material and design.He became the first former student to teach at the Bauhaus. Over the next seven years and under his direction, the preliminary course changed drastically, with nothing but the name remaining the same.During this period Albers developed a series of teaching exercises that he would continue to use in this teaching career over the next forty years. 1933 seen the closure of the Bauhaus, due to Nazi pressure, and the emigration of Albers to the United States. Yet the seeds had been planted and art schools throughout Euorpe had taken notice, they began to introduce Albers basic design exercises into their curriculums.
Albers emigrated to the United Stated with his wife and Bauhaus colleuge Anni Albers, to two new teaching posts in a revolutionary art school in North Carolina, known as Black Mountain College. Here Albers ran the painting programme and developed the first course dedicated to Colour. A development which would prove pivotal in his career. He was then offered the position of Head of Design in Yale University in 1949, his arrival seen a complete overall to the current curriculum and the embrace of Albers Basic Courses. There were courses in basic design, colour, drawing and painting. All of which stemmed from the Bauhaus and were modified in Black Mountain.It was here in Yale University Albers Colour course can into full flourish ion, and it was here that he wrote his most notable studies on Colour,"Homage To The Square" in 1949 "The Interaction Of Colour" in 1963, but that's for another blog..........