A Conversation with Josef Albers

At 81, Josef Albers has reached the apex of his creative career. His contributions to art teaching and to visual articulation in this century are already well recognized. Although he became known first as a successful teacher and only later as a successful painter, in recent years he has become one of the most widely exhibited artists and today his own artistic work seems better known than his teaching. He was aware of and explored the principles underlying so-called optical art before it evolved as a movement and his studies of the interaction of lines and the interaction of color have progressed in a characteristically creative, individualistic fashion. His unique approach has had a significant effect on the development of contemporary art movements. Professor Albers' work also has scientific and mathematical aspects, and this, in part at least, is responsible for the conception and contents of the conversation reported here, since both interviewers are active as physical scientists. The portion printed here is a much edited version of the original four hours of conversation but we have tried to leave the responses in their original form in the hope that something of Albers' strong and vital personality will be revealed. Our conversation took place in Chicago in May 1969.