Interaction of Color

by Josef Albers

Book Overview

The 50th anniversary edition of a classic text, featuring an expanded selection of color studies

"The landmark 1963 book by Josef Albers . . . isn't just for aspiring artists. Its mesmerizing illustrations are a revelation for anyone interested in color theory and human perception."--Pilar Viladas, New York Times

"A visionary work."--Malcolm Jones, Newsweek

Josef Albers's classic Interaction...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300179359
• ISBN13: 9780300179354
• Release Date: June 2013
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Dissatisfied. This book was not in good condition. Nor the edition I expected.

1. The cover of this book was worn and filthy, definitely not in good condition. 2. Not the edition I expected. 3. I don't like the style in which this information is presented, it is extremely dull for a book about color.

interaction of color by josef albers

excellent revised/expanded edition of the classic albers theory/anti-theory of color. the classic that most art schools continue to base their color courses on, this edition has more reproductions from the original collectors hand silkscreened edition and is nearly twice the number of pages.

Life is Colorful

As I began to read, I got excited. All other reviews here are *correct* in their subjective observations of why they did and didn't like it; however, the reasons why they liked and/or disliked it is why *I liked it* too.For example, the prose reads very poetically and therefore the text flows like a river. The text isn't clumped into large paragraphs but rather usually in stanzas of 2 to five lines each; this helps digest the information.Albers speaks of: philosophy, music, psychology, and everyday living and at times seems a bit of a philosopher himself. This book helps you see that what is today, was of tomorrow and that a lot of concepts and visual tricks originate from his experiments. In my mind, he is one of the Master teachers.Also, I felt there were *just* enough examples in color at the back - keep in mind this book was written in the 60's/70's and "plates" were very expensive to produce - to gain and understanding of what Albers is getting at. This book is *not* updated or revised (other than the second plates that Albers choose) and yet is still VERY relevant to today and the understanding of color. Even without all the fancy coloring and graphical treatments, the black text and diagrams are easy and pleasant to the eye. I also thought I would be reading *something else* about color, such as the psychology of color and what color means and I got a bit of that but also so much more. In addition, I learned the ability to *think for myself* in regards to the color I see around me and I understand the *logic* of color now.Well, I won't spoil the book for you and it's certainly a treat to read for those of us who are bored with mediocre writing and thinking. This is a highly praised book in my library collection.

interesting

I really liked the book, but it is more of a teachers manual than a book you can just pick up a read. You must do the experimentation yourself and so you must have time. The book did give me numerous new ideas to think about.

Squarely between art and science

Josef Albers was the Johannes Kepler of color. Kepler spent his life observing planetary motion, and distilling his observations down to simple laws of gravity. Change planets to color, and gravity to human vision, and you have Josef Albers. This book describes the gravitational laws of color. It has the whiff of simple perfection: you can't change one word without diminishing it. It is the bible of color interaction, and will remain so until an Isaac Newton comes along and explains these laws further. In the rare book collection, I had a look at the first edition, from 1963. It's this enormous book with lots of colored paper and plates for you to experiment with. I really wish it were still in print... I'd buy it at once.

The best source to learn about and understand color

As an art student at Idaho State University in 1970, we used this resource as a basis for our studies. To this date, I feel it is the one book from which I learned the real meaning of color and how we perceive it and how to make it do what we want it to do in the things we create. I have never seen an approach like this, and the color studies were the ultimate learning experience for me. There's nothing like it!