Homage to the Square
I was first introduced to artist Josef Albers as a design student studying color theory. His book Interaction of Color influenced the way I’ve understood color ever since. A couple of quotes from the book’s introduction seem particularly poignant, at least for my own art-making practice. The quotes reproduced below use the same line breaks found in the book.
Homage to the Square
“In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is
—as it physically is.
This fact makes color the most relative medium in art.”
This image from Interaction of Color illustrates the illusions that occur when the same color is placed on different backgrounds.
Albers also says:
“First, it should be learned that one and the same color evokes
innumerable readings.
Instead of mechanically applying or merely implying laws and rules
of color harmony, distinct color effects are produced
—through recognition of the interaction of color—
by making, for instance,
2 very different colors look alike, or nearly alike.”
