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Josef Albers

  • About
  • Works in the Kenneth E. Tyler Collection
  • Further Reading

Black and White image of  Josef Albers

Josef Albers in his Orange, Connecticut studio, 1969
Gift of Kenneth Tyler 2002
Photographer: William Crutchfield

Initially, Albers had been sceptical about using lithography; he believed the process could not match the luminosity that he achieved in his painting series Homage to the Square, which he had begun in 1950. Albers termed this series of paintings (which includes On an early sky of 1964) 'platters to serve color' - where colour combinations interact to effect different 'readings'. To achieve these effects with White Line Squares, a perfect fine white line was created by leaving the white paper exposed without any bleeding of the inks. The series became the visual expression of Albers' thesis:

A white line within a color area instead of as a contour may present a newly discovered effect—when the line is placed within a so-called 'Middle' color, even when the color is very evenly applied, it will make the one color look like two different shades or tints of that color.

When Albers was in his mid 80s, he produced with Tyler the series of colour screenprints, Gray Instrumentation - in which all the inks were printed directly onto the white of the paper, without overlap, to achieve subtle hues and luminosity. Such an exercise required a perfect system of registration in screenprinting, as well as perfect colour matching.

Jane Kinsman

Works in the Kenneth E Tyler Collection


  • Josef Albers

    Never before e
    1976

  • Josef Albers

    Yellow: from the portfolio Mitred Square
    1976

  • Josef Albers, Gemini G.E.L.

    White embossing on gray IV
    1971

  • Josef Albers

    White line square VIII
    1966

  • Josef Albers, Gemini G.E.L.

    White line square III
    1966

Browse all works by Josef Albers

Further Reading


EXHIBITIONS

  • Lichtenstein to Warhol: The Kenneth Tyler Collection, 2019–20
  • Print by print, step by step: artists’ prints in series, 9 March – 16 June 1985
  • Ken Tyler: printer extraordinary, 6 June – 13 October 1985

NATIONAL GALLERY PUBLICATIONS

  • Lichtenstein to Warhol: The Kenneth Tyler Collection, Jane Kinsman, exhibition catalogue, 2019
  • Workshop: The Kenneth Tyler Collection, Jane Kinsman (ed.), 2015
  • The Art of Collaboration: The Big Americans, Jane Kinsman, exhibition catalogue, 2002
  • Ken Tyler Printer Extraordinary, 1985

TYLER GRAPHICS PUBLICATIONS

  • Never Before, 1976
  • Mitered Squares, 1976
  • Four Portfolios, 1974-76
  • Gray Instrumentation I, 1975
  • Gray Instrumentation II, 1974
  • Lithographs Gemini G.E.L., 1968

RELATED LINKS

  • Albers Foundation

Related


The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Josef Albers

Black and white photograph of Tyler and Albers looking over a print

The Kenneth Tyler collection team share some archival photos in a discussion of Kenneth Tyler and Josef Alber's collaborative relationship.

Exhibition

Lichtenstein to Warhol
The Kenneth Tyler Collection

A print of Richard Nixon in blue, red, and yellow with the words "vote MCGOVERN" below

7 Sep 2019—9 Mar 2020

Tyler Biography

Man wearing sunglasses sitting in the driver's side of a red van

Kenneth E Tyler was born in East Chicago, Indiana in 1931. His family was one of the many who emigrated from Europe.

The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

The prints of Anni Albers: line involvements

Colour photograph of Anni Albers and Kenneth Tyler in the studio

Julia Greenstreet, Curatorial Assistant, Kenneth Tyler Collection, reflects on the prints of renown artist Anni Albers.

Exhibition

Gold and the Incas
Lost Worlds of Peru

Gold metalwork plaque with traditional patterning. Off the central form dangles circle and dagger shapes

6 Dec 2013—21 Apr 2014

The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

Vale William Crutchfield (1932–2015)

William Crutchfield removing paper frisket after air brushing plate for 'Trestle trains'

Ken Tyler reflects on William Crutchfield – teacher, friend, confidant and collaborator

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