Search Versus Re-Search: Recollections of Josef Albers at Yale, a film by Anoka Faruqee

Josef Albers transformed the teaching of art and design in the 20th century by asserting that the process of making and looking at art is more important than the finished product. “Art is not an object, art is an experience” is a simple and profound idea we still contend with today. For Albers, in artmaking, ideas are borne of material and perceptual possibilities and limitations. The same was true for his teaching: any theoretical position had to be formed and reformed through events in the classroom.
Many describe Albers as a crucial mentor: openminded, progressive and democratic. Others found him overbearing or even autocratic. Nowhere is this paradox more pronounced than in the varied voices of women students amongst the boys’ club of 1950’s Yale. These first hand accounts of Albers from his former students and colleagues - William Bailey, Audrey Flack, Karsten Harries, Erwin Hauer, Sheila Hicks, and Richard Lytle - not only suggest Albers’ teaching methods and ideals, but also provide a glimpse into his personality and his relationships.

[@reaganwiles_art]

Loved this. I had wanted to attend art school myself, thirty years ago. But my father wasn't hearing that at all. Not at all. So I want to a community college and started taking Commercial Art. And then I drop that curriculum and started taking literature classes and that's what I did in college. In high school I was very interested in Bauhaus, in Itten and Albers. Then I became seduced by Bacon, and any idea of art education went out the window. Bacon said What is there to teach? Either you've got it or you don't. I've continued painting these thirty plus years without art school. I have done so with little encouragement from anywhere. Exhibiting only three or four times in small venues. I enjoyed this very much, and I admire Albers still, but I would not have wanted an art school education. I have no desire to succeed as an artist.

[@pkcowzah3369]

A big service to all those interested in the joseph albers' insights into art and its constructional aspects..revolutionary and rooted at the same time. Very elegantly made movie as well. Much thankful for this!

[@kakarotox]

Thank you. Helps to understand one of the most important teachers of our ages.

[@hepzibah5773]

Lovely to see some of the faces once young, now we are old, or dead. Nevertheless, both Josef and Anni Albers etched their lives into ours, and we into theirs. Dolores Dembus Bittleman

[@tjd04081]

What is the beautiful music??? AMAZING

[@VoidGirlfriend]

Wonderful film! Especially love the soundtrack, wondering where I can find it :)

[@hellakooked]

"I got caught in a thing." Me too Audrey, me too.

[@nicolawillis2325]

this was really interesting and valuable to me as an artist - thank you!

[@parisbreakfast]

So interesting…all my teachers at U. Of Penn came from Yale and were Albers acolytes. We studied many of the same processes shown here.

[@mvagiano]

Thank you for the great documentary on Albers. I would’ve preferred though classical or jazz music to the eerie atonal music selection.

[@hohlwelt]

Excellent. :) Thank you for your effort and insightful result.

[@williamforrestall2161]

great video !!!! great sound track ...by Lee Faulkner - how does one contact Lee ?

[@geolloyd1351]

I enjoyed this film v much .

[@willemdejong9089]

“Red, blue, and black and green”! 😂

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

[@Sgobol]

Grazie

[@thomlane]

I'm a painter and I loved the muaic, painting is like that, even when we struggle to be rational, making something that moves the unconscious, or preconscious, is opening to the unknown right in the middle of rigorous thought...

[@Sgobol]

You're right

[@mr0pinpon]

memo　6:20

[@kikeheebchinkjigaboo6631]

CULTURAL MARXISM

[@jennifergalvin3415]

The creepy music in the background ruins this. Making me nervous, can't watch it.