Variant II from the suite of ten plates 'Ten Variants'
Print
1969 (made)
1969 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Josef Albers became one of the most influential figures of the 20th century avant-garde. He worked in a variety of media but has become widely recognised through his later printed work, based on the exploration of colour.
In 1949 he wrote a definitive text on colour theory (which he used as a preface to this suite 'Ten Variants') and soon after began work on the series of coloured squares and rectangles which came to dominate his work and which explored the idea of colour as an illusion, depending on context. "We do not see colours as they really are" he wrote "in our perception they alter one another" Although he began his experiments in this field with paint, he came to depend on the planographic print processes, particularly screen-print, because through them consistent evenness of colour could be produced easily and with great speed.
In 1949 he wrote a definitive text on colour theory (which he used as a preface to this suite 'Ten Variants') and soon after began work on the series of coloured squares and rectangles which came to dominate his work and which explored the idea of colour as an illusion, depending on context. "We do not see colours as they really are" he wrote "in our perception they alter one another" Although he began his experiments in this field with paint, he came to depend on the planographic print processes, particularly screen-print, because through them consistent evenness of colour could be produced easily and with great speed.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Variant II from the suite of ten plates 'Ten Variants' (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | colour screenprint on paper |
| Brief description | Josef Albers: colour screenprint plate 2 from 'Ten Variants' 1969 |
| Physical description | Each plate of this suite (E.59.1- 59.12- 1994 ) is a variation on the theme of a nesting or overlayering of coloured rectangles (landscape format). In the centre of each is a shape that is a rectangle with a projecting rectangular turret at each end. In each of the turrets is a rectangular, portrait format, 'window' of a contrasting colour. The colouring of Variant II is blue and green outer rectangles, within these, yellow, and within this a white centre with pale grey turrets and yellow windows. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Blind stamped with the publisher's mark and stamped on the verso with its serial number within the set.) |
| Credit line | Given by the Josef Albers Foundation |
| Production | This suite is accompanied by a preface and portfolio case. |
| Summary | Josef Albers became one of the most influential figures of the 20th century avant-garde. He worked in a variety of media but has become widely recognised through his later printed work, based on the exploration of colour. In 1949 he wrote a definitive text on colour theory (which he used as a preface to this suite 'Ten Variants') and soon after began work on the series of coloured squares and rectangles which came to dominate his work and which explored the idea of colour as an illusion, depending on context. "We do not see colours as they really are" he wrote "in our perception they alter one another" Although he began his experiments in this field with paint, he came to depend on the planographic print processes, particularly screen-print, because through them consistent evenness of colour could be produced easily and with great speed. |
| Associated objects | |
| Other number | serial number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.59:2-1994 |
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| Record created | March 6, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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