Josef Albers: Sunny Side Up

Throughout his career, Josef Albers (1888-1976) embraced color. Spanning five decades, these paintings show a range of Albers's experiments with simple geometric forms—from the Homage to the Square and Variant/Adobe series (begun in 1950 and 1947, respectively) to rarely-seen color studies—through which he explored how colors interact and are perceived.

In an interview in 1968, Albers remarked, “I was for years in the yellow period.” The particular appeal of yellow, used here in pure hues from goldenrod to mustard, maize, and saffron, may be attributable to its emotive qualities—as Nicholas Fox Weber, Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, explains, “Josef considered yellow the color of curing, caring and uplift.” He was deeply influenced by Goethe's Theory of Color (1810), which placed yellow “among the luminous and active colors.Ú

Josef Albers: Midnight and Noon includes an introduction by Nicholas Fox Weber and texts by Josef Albers, Elaine de Kooning, and Colm Tóibín. Published by David Zwirner Books.

For more information about available works contact inquiries@davidzwirner.com

Location

24 Grafton Street London

Dates

January 13—March 10, 2017

Artist

Josef Albers

Press Release

Sunny Side Up

Josef Albers

Color study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 13 x 13 x 1 1/4 inches (33 x 33 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 17 1/4 x 16 x 1 1/2 inches (43.8 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study (Variant/Adobe), c. 1947

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 17 1/8 x 20 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (43.5 x 51.1 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil on paper

Framed: 19 1/8 x 16 7/8 x 1 1/4 inches (48.6 x 42.9 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square: See, 1961

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches (62.2 x 62.2 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square [Autumn Scent], 1966

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (41.3 x 41.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square [White Aura], 1968

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 40 1/4 x 40 1/4 x 1 3/8 inches (102.2 x 102.2 x 3.5 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square: Now, 1962

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (62.2 x 62.2 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers: Midnight and Noon

Artist: Josef Albers

$55.00

Josef Albers

Untitled (Variant/Adobe), 1956-1958

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 18 1/2 x 26 1/8 x 1 1/4 inches (47 x 66.4 x 3.2 cm)

“It all shows how singular, driven, ordered and monomaniacal he was in his quest for pure geometry, pure colour, pure art. That’s what elevates this above what’s on the canvas—the passion and drive, the obsession at its heart.”—Time Out London gives the exhibition a four-star review

Installation view of the exhibition: Josef Albers: Sunny Side Up at David Zwirner in London, dated 2017.

Josef Albers

Color study, n.d.

Oil and graphite on cardboard

Framed: 10 x 18 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (25.4 x 47 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil on blotting paper

16 1/8 x 16 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (41 x 41 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on paper

Framed: 18 3/8 x 12 x 1 1/2 inches (46.7 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1963

Oil on Masonite

24 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches (62.2 x 62.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Almost Four (color étude), c. 1936

Oil on wood composition board

Framed: 17 1/2 x 19 x 1 1/2 inches (44.5 x 48.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square: See, 1961

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches (62.2 x 62.2 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil on paper

Framed: 19 1/8 x 16 7/8 x 1 1/4 inches (48.6 x 42.9 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 22 1/8 x 17 1/8 x 1 1/4 inches (56.2 x 43.5 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1971

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (122.6 x 122.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1969

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 1 3/8 inches (41.3 x 41.3 x 3.5 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1969

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 1 3/8 inches (41.3 x 41.3 x 3.5 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square [Autumn Scent], 1966

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (41.3 x 41.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, 1965

Oil on Masonite

24 5/8 x 24 5/8 inches (62.5 x 62.5 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 20 x 16 7/8 x 1 1/2 inches (50.8 x 42.9 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on cardboard

Framed: 18 x 11 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (45.7 x 28.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 16 x 10 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (40.6 x 25.7 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Mitered Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on card stock

Framed: 11 1/8 x 10 7/8 x 1 1/2 inches (28.3 x 27.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study for a Mitered Square, n.d.

Oil, graphite, ink, and collage on blotting paper

Framed: 11 1/4 x 10 7/8 x 1 1/2 inches (28.6 x 27.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Browns, Ochre, Yellow, 1948

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 18 7/8 x 26 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches (47.9 x 67.3 x 5.7 cm)

Josef Albers

Untitled (Variant/Adobe), 1956-1958

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 18 1/2 x 26 1/8 x 1 1/4 inches (47 x 66.4 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Variant/Adobe, 1948-1955

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 23 5/8 x 35 7/8 x 1 1/4 inches (60 x 91.1 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study (Variant/Adobe), c. 1947

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 17 1/8 x 20 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (43.5 x 51.1 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square: 2 Grays between 2 Yellows, 1961

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 22 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (57.2 x 57.2 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square: Now, 1962

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (62.2 x 62.2 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 16 x 13 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (40.6 x 34.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1963

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (41.3 x 41.3 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square, 1963

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 16 1/8 x 16 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (41 x 41 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Homage to the Square [White Aura], 1968

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 40 1/4 x 40 1/4 x 1 3/8 inches (102.2 x 102.2 x 3.5 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square with color study, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 18 7/8 x 15 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (47.9 x 39.4 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study, n.d.

Oil and graphite on card stock

Framed: 12 x 18 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches (30.5 x 47.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Three color studies for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper with varnish

Framed: 16 3/8 x 10 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (41.6 x 25.7 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 17 1/8 x 9 x 1 1/2 inches (43.5 x 22.9 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 17 1/4 x 16 x 1 1/2 inches (43.8 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm)

Josef Albers

Study to Homage to the Square: Aurora, 1957

Oil on Masonite

Framed: 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches (62.2 x 62.2 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 13 x 13 x 1 1/4 inches (33 x 33 x 3.2 cm)

Josef Albers

Color study for Homage to the Square, n.d.

Oil and graphite on blotting paper

Framed: 13 x 13 x 1 1/4 inches (33 x 33 x 3.2 cm)

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