Anni Albers

by Ann Coxon, Briony Fer, Maria Müller-Schareck

A long-overdue reassessment of one of the most important and influential woman artists working at midcentury

Anni Albers (1899–1994) was a German textile designer, weaver, and printmaker, and among the leading pioneers of 20th-century modernism. Although she has heavily influenced generations of artists and designers, her contribution to modernist art history has been comparatively overlooked, especially in relation to that of her husband, Josef. In this groundbreaking and beautifully illustrated volume, Albers’s most important works are examined to fully explore and redefine her contribution to 20th-century art and design and highlight her significance as an artist in her own right.
 
Featured works—from her early activity at the Bauhaus as well as from her time at Black Mountain College, and spanning her entire fruitful career—include wall hangings, designs for commercial use, drawings and studies, jewelry, and prints. Essays by international experts focus on key works and themes, relate aspects of Albers’s practice to her seminal texts On Designing and On Weaving , and identify broader contextual material, including examples of the Andean textiles that Albers collected and in which she found inspiration for her understanding of woven thread as a form of language. Illuminating Albers’s skill as a weaver, her material awareness, and her deep understanding of art and design, this publication celebrates an artist of enormous importance and showcases the timeless nature of her creativity.

Published in association with Tate

Exhibition Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen , Düsseldorf, Germany
(06/09/18–09/09/18) Tate Modern, London
(10/11/18–01/27/19)

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Design

192 pages, Hardcover

Published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Bill Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been an Anni Albers fan and this book is a wonderful introduction if you aren't familiar with her career. Even if you are aware of her art I think the essays and reproductions will be quite worthwhile.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written to accompany the exhibition at Tate Modern, beautifully illustrated, with a good range of articles covering a range of aspects of the artist's life. Thorough and raising some interesting ideas and questions, but not in huge depth.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book published in conjunction with the exhibit at the Tate Modern. The book in and of itself is beautifully made and filled with inspiration and informative essays. A must have for any weaver's library.

[Cameron Toney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anni Albers is another one of the (seemingly endless) artists who I knew nothing about, but did amazing work.
Primarily known for her weavings, she also made prints, and some paintings as well, and this book was a nice overview of some of that work.
A fascinating figure.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars is what I’d like to rate it. Truly inspirational doesn’t even scratch the surface.

[Cflack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting essays and examples of Albers work. Very thoughtful.