Josef Albers in Mexico
Under the Influence South of the Border
Addiction is a powerful thing, and it comes in many forms: A brutal, invasive carnivore on the underbelly of an obituary; an insatiable need to consume all the tiramisu in the world; a chemical dependence on getting off, or on the things that get us off. Artist Josef Albers got off on Mexico.
Albers and his wife visited Mexico fourteen times between the mid-1930s and late 1960s, soaking themselves in the inspiration that pre-Columbian art and architecture readily provided. He created a bombastic juxtaposition of photography and abstract art based on these experiences. These are now on view at Josef Albers in Mexico, which opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on November 3 and shows through February 18, 2018. The exhibit was assembled by Lauren Hinkson, Associate Curator of Collections, and highlights the six Mexican sites Albers visited most often.
In 1933, after the Nazis closed the Bauhaus, the German art and design school where Albers was an instructor, he moved to teach at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, according to the press release. Albers frequently left his new home in North Carolina to find inspiration in Monte Albàn, Uxmal, and Chichén Itzà. These excursions were a form of escapism all too necessary in a time of global political turmoil.
While Albers lacked familiarity with the history of Mexico, the raw forms of the architecture and saturation of the colors shaped his approach to photography, collage, and painting. He saw the sturdy, time-tested strength of right angles as something that the contemporary art world lacked, and returned to them again and again. His pieces in Josef Albers in Mexico clearly depict the passion he felt for the country and its aesthetic, as shown in the images below.
It’s easy to understand why he kept going back for more.
