THREE INTERVIEWS OF JOSEF ALBERS[1]

by Jean Charlot

 

1946

Art to me is visual formulation of our reaction to the world, the universe, to life.

The content of my paintings is relatedness, as a symbol of order opposing negation and defeatism.  Consequently I prefer to promote hope instead of fear and despair.  Because I believe that art––a parallel to life even on a critical level—is affirmation of life. 

In my paintings I adhere to what in other arts is considered a matter of course.  Namely, that performance is prepared by rehearsal, that exercises precede recital, or plans, executionÉ  And it was a rule with the old masters of painting. 

Why are we afraid that thinking and planning—necessary to all human activities—will spoil painting?  The saying that the freshness of the first sketch cannot be repeated—is admitting impotence. 

There is no extraordinary without the ordinary, and the root of both is order. 

When color acts, we never can tell what color it is. 

The painter in his painting–– 

presents                                            a viewpoint                                        (interpretation) 

                                                                   or standpoint                                    (presentation)

 

speaks                                                 via means                                             (as musical instrument) 

                                                                   or through means                         (as voice)

 

gives                                                    reflection                                              (indirectly as through a mirror)

                                                                   or direction                                        (directly from within) 

 

as                                                             conductor

                                                                   or performer

Art in its very nature is new in formulation, articulation, though constant in its task to reveal and to arouse emotion.

Tradition has lost its traditional meaning.  It has changed from a moving force to an inactive attitude; from a role of facilitation to one of inhibition. 

The past has led us to the present.  Whether the past will be a help to us or a hindrance, depends on how we respect the present. 

 

 

 

1953

I am a Westphalian––from the Ruhr––and now 65. 

Though I have destroyed more of my work than saved, it has been shown during the last fifteen years in more than 500 exhibitions here and abroad. 

Here a few invitations for consideration:

THE ORIGIN OF ART:

Discrepancy between physical fact and psychic effect

THE CONTENT OF ART:

Visual formulation of our reaction to life 

THE MEASURE OF ART:

Ratio of effort to effect 

THE AIM OF ART:

Revelation and evocation of vision

 

 

 

March 1954

To me (so far)

art is to present 

not to represent 

though I know

art representational

and presentational.

 

Art is to present 

vision first,

not expression first. 

Vision in art is to reveal

our insight––inner sight,

our seeing the world and life 

 

Expression, style

or contemporaneousness

is an unavoidable by-product

of personality;

not a result of stylization,

not of forced individualism

but of virtue: 

honesty and modesty. 

 

 


[1] Published with the kind permission of the Josef and Anni Albers Collection.  Edited by John Charlot.