My highlights from the Anni Albers retrospective at the Tate Modern, London.
001 Technical drawings
and colour experiments. Weaving is a technically complicated art. Fascinating to see Albers’ detailed plans and colour studies
Below Albers weaves with black, yellow and white. Yet I also see shades of green and grey. Blows my mind, amazing control of optical effects.
002 Discovering new art schools
I’ve long been fascinated by art schools and communities. Anni Albers was a student at the Bauhaus school in the 1930s, famous for it’s progressive arts education. When the school was closed by the Nazi’s in the X Anni and her husband Josef Albers, fled Europe for America.
They settled in North Carolina and became part of Black Mountain College, a liberal arts college. Sounds like a fascinating community. Added to my list of places to visit!
003 Latin American Influences
Albers was heavily influenced by Latin American weaving. Collecting fascinating textile samples from Peru, Mexico and elsewhere.
I hadn’t realised that in many of the pre-colombian cultures, weaving was the main form of language and keeping records, rather than writing on paper!
004 Rockefeller House
I love seeing an artist’s work being used in every day life. Killer curtains!
005 Texture and printing
Fascinating to see a lifetime’s committment to the medium and art of weaving. But also to see towards the end of her career, Albers taking that feeling into other media.
Love these punctured holes and echoes of Latin America triangles.
006 Weaving with light?
As I emerged from the Tate Gallery, into the December darkness, I was struck by the patterns of light glowing from the windows of London’s offices. It’s almost as if I was walking amongst giant illuminated weavings.
What: Anni Albers at the Tate Modern. £18 or free for members.
Where: Bankside, London SE1 9TG
When: Until 27th Janaury 2019