Imaginary Space:
Interpreting Josef Albers
Interpreting Josef Albers
The paintings of Josef Albers are striking in their aesthetic minimalism and exploration of form. In particular, the charmingly-titled "II:31" is a classic example of rigid adherence to geometry in exploring relationships between space. A fairly unknown work exhibited solely in one book (Formulations: Articulation Portfolio II), it was chosen as the basis of my own exploration of spatial relationships.
I first reduced the painting to a line drawing - a study of each element on the canvas and its relationship to others. The varying line weights indicate a scale of different heights, with thicker lines denoting taller forms. Out of the two-dimensional painting are the beginnings of an extruded three-dimensional space.
After the line transcription, sectionals were made that revealed the extrusions of different forms and began shaping the spaces in between.
After the line studies, a 3D-model was created to better visualize the space. The model was created in 3dsMAX and was used to explore the extruded space. An isometric view was taken, as well as a perspective view placed, as a camera would, inside the space at "eye" level. The colours of the rendering were largely drawn from the original painting.
I imagined the space as an arcade or sculptural garden, that would allow people to interact with the space in a very tactile way - as surfaces to eat, work or play games upon, and different areas upon which to sit or climb.
I imagined the space as an arcade or sculptural garden, that would allow people to interact with the space in a very tactile way - as surfaces to eat, work or play games upon, and different areas upon which to sit or climb.
The final step in this study was to construct an architectural model of the space. I chose bass wood to create the model, and set it on an MDF base. The block-like elements were all manually cut with a bandsaw and sanded by hand. I chose not to paint or veneer the wood, instead allowing the contrast in wood grain to accentuate and give character to the model.
