Biography

1888

born in Bottrop

1913

Studies fine arts at the Royal Art School in Berlin in order to become a teacher

1915

Successfully finishes the examination to become a certified art teacher

1916

In addition to his teaching activities, he is completing part-time studies at the Folkwangschule in Essen.

1918

Studies at the Royal Academy of Arts in Munich where he was a pupil of Franz von Stuck and Max Doerner; First encouter with Bauhaus

1920

Joins Bauhaus in Weimar and attends the preliminary course with Johannes Itten

1925

Becomes Bauhausmeister

1930

Assistant director of Bauhaus

1931

Beginns his first series, the so called "Violinschlüssel" (treble clefs)

1932

Moves with Bauhaus to Berlin after the school had been deprived of their budget

1933

Nazis close the Bauhaus; Moves to the U.S. at the invitation of Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina

1933 – 1949

Professorship at Black Mountain College (his students are among others Robert Rauschenberg and John Cage)

1939

Anni and Jofes Albers become American citizens

1947

Albers starts his series "Variant/Adobe"

1949

Albers produces the first black and white studies of his famous "Homage to the Square"

1950 – 1958

Albers acts as "Visiting Critic" at the Department of Design at Yale University while simultaneously being a guest professor at Harvard; Afterwards he becomes head of the Department of Design

1954 - 1955

Guest professorships at Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm

1962

Albers becomes honorary doctor at Yale university

1968

Albers received numerous awards, including the Große Preis für Malerie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) and the order of merit "Pour le Mérite"

1970

Honorary citizenship of the city of Bottrop

1976

Josef Albers dies on the 25th of March in New Haven, Conneticut

Solo Exhibitions

Selection:

2021

Josef and Anni Albers: Art and Love, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France

2018

Josef Albers: Interaction. Villa Hügel, Essen, Germany

Josef Albers in Mexico. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York & Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

2016/2017

One and One Is Four: The Bauhaus Photocollages of Josef Albers. Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA

2013

Josef Albers, Interaction of Color, Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria

2011

Josef Albers: Innovation and Inspiration, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., USA

2010-2012

Painting on Paper: Josef Albers in America, Louisiana Museum of Art and Humlebaek, Copenhagen; with stops at Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland; Musee Nationale d’ Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Centro de Arte Moderna, Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal and Morgan Library and Museum, New York, USA

2012

Alexej von Jawlensky – Josef Albers. Museum Wiesbaden, Germany

2010

Alexej von Jawlensky und Josef Albers: Farbe, Abstraktion, Serie. Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Bottrop, Germany

2006/2007

Albers and Moholy-Nagy: From the Bauhaus to the New World, Tate Modern, London, UK; with stops at Kunsthalle Bielefeld and Whitney Museum, New York, USA

2002

Josef Albers, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France