Josef Albers’ Expansive ‘Formulation: Articulation’ Is on View at David Zwirner

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As a passionate gamer and art enthusiast, I’ve been utterly captivated by Josef Albers’ latest solo exhibition at David Zwirner, showcasing his stunning color studies in the online exhibit, “Formulation: Articulation.” Albers’ groundbreaking print portfolio takes me on an enlightening journey through his pivotal career milestones.

In a fresh solo exhibition at David Zwirner, Josef Albers’ color experiments take the limelight. The digital exhibit highlights Albers’ print collection, titled “Formulation: Articulation, ” comprised of 127 screenprints spread over 66 sheets of folded wove paper. This body of work showcases significant phases in Albers’ artistic journey – from his beginnings at the Bauhaus and his experimental woodcuts at Black Mountain College, to his renowned series “Variant/Adobe” and “Homage to the Square.”

In her writing as an art historian and chief curator at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Brenda Danilowitz described Albers, who sadly passed away in 1976 at the age of 88. She noted that even in his advanced years, Albers remained eager to experiment. Printmaking served as an effective means for him to discover new techniques. There is often a sense of excitement and playfulness, a delight in the unexpected results that the process produces.

In the 1950s, Albers initiated his “Homage to the Square” series by applying paint directly to the canvas with a palette knife, confining himself to the boundaries of a square shape. For the next quarter-century, he employed color to create visual illusions that didn’t deceive but rather provoked viewers to question their perception and grasp the fundamentals of vision.

After carefully examining all of Albers’s creations, it is only then that you can grasp his artistic philosophy and fully value “Formulation: Articulation” as Albers’s magnum opus. This masterpiece, produced by him in his eighties with incredible innovation and vitality, encapsulates the intellectual foundations of a lifetime, and applies the deeply practical principles he had instilled over a century of teaching.

Formulation: Articulation is on view online at David Zwirner.

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2024-07-26 00:25