Josef Albers: Homage to the Square: 1950-1976

The essential account of Albers’ enormously influential proto-Minimalist series, featuring studies and archival materials

Made over the course of a quarter century between 1950 and his death in 1976, Josef Albers’ groundbreaking series Homage to the Square comprises 2,000 oil paintings. His quest for continuous reflection and refinement inspired numerous young Minimalist and Conceptualist artists in their search for a reduced formal language. This outstanding volume explores the secrets of Albers’ subtle aesthetic and the questions it poses: what is the significance of the square? How did Albers’ thoughts on color and its use as a material evolve over this span?
Featuring studies on paper, archival materials and essays by Albers aficionados Margit Rowell and Donald Judd, among others, this richly illustrated publication sheds light on the various inspirations that influenced Albers early on in Europe and later in America, and illustrates the lasting impact of his art and thinking.
Josef Albers (1888-1976) laid the foundations for some of the most important art education programs of the 20th century. In 1936, during his time working at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, he had his first solo exhibition in New York at J.B. Neumann’s New Art Circle. In 1949, Albers left the college and began the Homage to the Square series. He taught at various institutions throughout America, including Yale University. He died in 1976.