Josef Albers (1888-1976) was a highly influential painter, color theorist, and teacher; Anni Albers (1899-1994) was an important creator of textile artworks. The roots of these artistic adventurers reach back to the time they shared at the Bauhaus. After emigrating to the USA in 1933, the couple regularly traveled to Mexico and South America to study the art, architecture, and textile designs of pre-Columbian cultures.
Featuring letters and manuscripts by Anni and Josef Albers, this catalogue is the first to document the influence of Central and South America on the work of this couple's work. It argues that their art would not have been conceivable without their encounter with the southern continent. Anni Albers's weavings, drawings, and painted studies demonstrate her in-depth knowledge of pre-Columbian textiles. Similarly, the paintings and photographs by Josef Albers testify to the way he developed his special sense of color in Mexico, and how he continued to further inform his own independent concept of photography. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-1988-9)

Exhibition schedule: Josef Albers Museum Bottrop, March 11-June 3, 2007  · Museo de Arte de Lima, June 27-September 23, 2007 · Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexiko City, November 6, 2007-March 23, 2008