The Josef Albers Color Interactions Palette, created by Blēo and the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, and curated by Ambra Medda of AMO, is a visual exploration inspired by one of the most influential art-teachers of the 20th century
Photography courtesy of Blēo featuring The Josef Albers Color Interactions Palette
Scandinavian colour house Blēo has joined forces with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation to launch the Josef Albers Color Interactions Palette. Curated by Ambra Medda of London-based design consultancy AMO, Blēo presents a visual exploration of the multifaceted works of German-born American artist Josef Albers (1888-1976).
Widely regarded as a seminal figure in modernism and a master of colour theory, Josef is perhaps best known for his bold colour square paintings and his abstract works, including Homage to the Square, produced by Josef between 1950 and his death in 1976. Challenging assumptions about colour perception, his iconic pieces transformed how people see colour.
‘I have never taught art, I think,’ said Josef in 1968. ‘What I have taught is philosophy. I have never taught painting. Instead, I have taught seeing.’ Fascinated by colour deception and relativity, Josef encouraged readers to experiment. His philosophy of openness was a through line in his work and teaching, which continues to resonate with and influence generations of artists, designers, students and teachers.
Photography courtesy of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation featuring Josef Albers, 1960, Photographer unknown
Reinterpreting the artist’s pioneering book, Interaction of Color (1963) – Josef’s influential tome presenting his explanation of complex colour theory principles – the Color Interactions Palette sees Blēo transforming six of the original silkscreened colour plates and visual exercises into a sculptural landscape and engaging experience.
Over 200 hues are distilled into a meticulously crafted collection of 29 colours, capturing the nuanced tones and energetic shades from the illustrations of Interaction of Color. Featuring ten colour studies chosen by Josef, Interaction of Color encourages a hands-on approach, which focuses on how to better see and understand colour. To honour this ethos, and explore the sensory and intuitive world of colour interaction, Blēo aims to replicate Josef’s revolutionary exercise by recreating a realm where colour transcends boundaries.
The colours are featured on vertical and horizontal hand-painted boards that invite one to understand colour through one’s senses and from multiple perspectives. ‘Josef Albers Color Interactions for Blēo celebrates Josef Albers’s approach—there are no bad combinations. Each shade holds its own power and richness,’ says Nicholas Fox Weber, executive director of the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, who first met Josef and Anni Albers in 1971. He has run the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation for over four decades.
Photography courtesy of Blēo featuring The Josef Albers Color Interactions Palette
Not just an artist, but a visionary educator whose teachings continue to shape our understanding of colour, Josef and his equally influential partner, the artist Anni Albers (née Fleischmann), met at the Bauhaus—where he was one of the first students to be appointed a master. Following the rise of Nazism in Germany, they emigrated to the United States in 1933 when Josef was invited to join the faculty at the pioneering Black Mountain College.
While teaching at Black Mountain, and then at Yale University, Josef continued to develop his experiential methods—culminating in the seminal publication Interaction of Color, which he dedicated to his students. Fascinated by colour deception and relativity, Josef encouraged readers to experiment. His philosophy of openness was a through line in both his work and teaching and is one that continues to influence the next generation of creatives.
‘Our perception of colour is a dance between light and context, a reflection that is both subjective and ephemeral,’ says Blēo of the new launch. Seeking to capture the essence of Albers’s teachings, the new palette showcases how colours converse and converge in ever-changing compositions. It is a captivating celebration of the innate subjectivity of colour, where each hue narrates a unique story, and every combination is a discovery.
Photography by Rudy Burckhardt featuring Josef Albers painting a ‘Homage to the Square’, 1950. Estate of Rudy Burckhardt/Artists Right Society (ARS), New York
Founded and based in Copenhagen, Blēo is a colour house informed by contemporary culture, philosophy, and research. Blēo is on a mission to pioneer a new and conceptual approach to colour, built on an eclectic understanding of arts and science, quality, history and innovation. Taking colour beyond the traditional boundaries of paint, the brand works with an exhaustive list of today’s most compelling artists, architects, and designers on personal palettes that tells the story of a person, practice, or place.
AMO, a platform founded by Ambra Medda, seeks to work with historically significant and contemporary designers across site-specific projects, new products, and narratives. Ambra Medda’s ability to discover and nurture new talent combines seamlessly with expertise in facilitating innovative collaborations between designers, curators, students, luxury brands and institutions. She has worked with clients including Airbnb, Archivio Osvaldo Borsani, Audi, Fendi, Benetton, Christie’s, Roger Vivier, Sport Max, Tod’s, HSBC PB, Louis Vuitton, and The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation.
Get a curated collection of design and architecture news in your inbox by signing up to our ICON Weekly newsletter
