It’s taken me a while, but in a relative moment of school holiday calm, here is the details about my trip to the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop

In 1970, Bottrop, the city of his birth, made Josef Albers an honorary citizen. As a thank you, Albers donated some of his works to the city. These paintings were displayed in the Museumszentrum Quadrat, which opened in September 1976, an institution that combined natural and cultural history and visual arts under one roof.
In 1979, more than 300 works from the estate of Josef Albers were donated to the museum. It was Albers’ wish that pictures from his artistic work be kept on permanent display in Bottrop. At this point, the museum was expanded to allow works from all phases of Albers’ career to be displayed. The Josef Albers Museum Quadrat opened in 1983 and its architecture was inspired by the “Homage to the Square” series of works a “Homage to the Homage to the Square”.
In 2021, the really beautiful open space in front of the museum was renamed Anni Albers Platz 1. so the museum address became Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Anni Albers Platz 1, Bottrop. Isn’t that brilliant?

Color study for a Homage to the square. not dated

Color study for a Homage to the square. not dated

Color study for a Homage to the square. not dated
The colour studies in the museum brought to life the process behind each of the larger Homage to the Square. From the square layouts marked pencil to the notes about colours around each section. Although not dated, the studies clearly relate to bigger pieces, but it’s interesting to see how closely they relate and the colours were worked through. The final study showing colours grouped together, before being put into a square.

Homage to the Square: Hope Again 1962

Homage to the Square: Mitred Square, 1967
Hope Again from 1962 shows a the very subtle change in greys against the vibrant turquoise and green. Whilst Mitre Square froom 1967 showed how Albers was still pushing the squares in different directions – in this case seemingly revisiting the perception op art style from his much earlier works before Homage to the Square.
I loved sitting and looking at this range of squares. There is something so simple and straightforward about them all, but yet as intended, the interactions of colours are brilliant, lightening and darkening depending on the ratios and orders that the colours have been used.

Study for Homage to the Square: Impact, 1965

Homage to the Square: Luminant, 1959
Sitting in the museum, it was really hard not to feel joy when I looked at these two pieces. The vibrance and striking difference between the greys, yellows and oranges, still lift my mood, a few months after my visit.
It was also great to see the different groupings of squares Albers used. He had 4 different set ups, 3 that used 3 squares and 1 that used 4 squares, all the same ratios. However, by using the different size of square, the colour interactions become different.
It is looking at these interactions that are pushing me with my own thoughts about colour – I’ve had a thing about yellow since first seeing Anni Albers Black, White, Yellow weaving at the Tate Modern Exhibition, but the more I spend time studying the squares, the more I want move away from colour gradients and play with my colours! That should keep me busy for a bit!

Homage to the Square, 1968