Interaction of Color: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20307

“One of the most important books on color ever written.”—Michael Hession, Gizmodo

Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color is a masterwork in twentieth-century art education. Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this timeless book presents Albers’s unique ideas of color experimentation in a way that is valuable to specialists as well as to a larger audience.

Originally published by Yale University Press in 1963 as a limited silkscreen edition with 150 color plates, Interaction of Color first appeared in paperback in 1971, featuring ten representative color studies chosen by Albers. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original publication of Interaction of Color, Yale University Press released a new paperback edition that presents a significantly expanded selection of more than thirty color studies alongside Albers’s original unabridged text, demonstrating such principles as color relativity, intensity, and temperature; vibrating and vanishing boundaries; and the illusions of transparency and reversed grounds.

The A&AePortal version of the Interaction of Color is based on the 2013 edition, and includes original video commentary by experts explaining Albers's principles in some of the color exercises featured in the book. The electronic version also combines the classic texts with the plates and commentary, chapter-by-chapter, providing a seamless reading experience.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Print publication date June 2013 (in print)

Print ISBN 9780300179354

EISBN 9780300260830

Illustrations 62

Print Status in print

Publisher (in print)

WorldCat

Google Books

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List of illustrations

Interaction of Color: plate IV-1
Interaction of Color: plate IV-3
Interaction of Color: plate IV-4
Interaction of Color: plate V-1
Interaction of Color: plate V-2
Interaction of Color: plate V-3
Interaction of Color: plate VI-3
Interaction of Color: plate VI-4
Interaction of Color: plate VI-4
Interaction of Color: plate VII-2
Interaction of Color: plate VII-4
Interaction of Color: plate VII-5
Interaction of Color: plate VII-7
Interaction of Color: plate VIII-1
Interaction of Color: plate VIII-2
Interaction of Color: plate IX-1
Interaction of Color: plate IX-3
Interaction of Color: plate IX-3
Interaction of Color: plate X-1
Interaction of Color: plate XI-1
Interaction of Color: plate XI-2
Interaction of Color: plate XI-3
Interaction of Color: plate XI-3
Interaction of Color: plate XII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XIII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XIII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XIII-3
Interaction of Color: plate XIV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XIV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XIV-2
Interaction of Color: plate XIV-3
Interaction of Color: plate XV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XV-1
Interaction of Color: plate XV-2
Interaction of Color: plate XV-2
Interaction of Color: plate XVI-1
Interaction of Color: plate XVI-1
Interaction of Color: plate XVI-2
Interaction of Color: plate XVI-3
Interaction of Color: plate XVI-3
Interaction of Color: plate XVII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XVII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XVII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-3
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-3
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-9
Interaction of Color: plate XVIII-11
Interaction of Color: plate XXV-2
Interaction of Color: plate XXV-6
Interaction of Color: plate XIX-1
Interaction of Color: plate XX-1
Interaction of Color: plate XX-1
Interaction of Color: plate XXI-1
Interaction of Color: plate XXII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XXII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XXIII-1
Interaction of Color: plate XXIII-2
Interaction of Color: plate XXIV-1

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20308

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Foreword

Nicholas Fox Weber

It is now fifty years since Interaction of Color was published and, almost immediately, began to change the way people all over the world thought about seeing...

Author

Nicholas Fox Weber

PublisherYale University Press

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20309

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Introduction

The book “Interaction of Color” is a record of an experimental way of
studying color and of teaching color...

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PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.1-2

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20310

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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I. Color recollection—visual memory

If one says “Red” (the name of a color)
and there are 50 people listening,
it can be expected that there will be 50 reds in their minds...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.3-3

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.001

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20311

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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II. Color reading and contexture

The concept that “the simpler the form of a letter the simpler its reading”
was an obsession of beginning constructivism. It became something
like a dogma, and is still followed by “modernistic” typographers...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.4-5

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.002

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20312

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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III. Why color paper—
instead of pigment and paint

~When, more than 20 years ago, this systematic study of color was begun,
it occurred almost as a matter of course that the studies would be done
in color papers. At that same time there was some concern among teachers
that students might be reluctant to substitute paper for paint.
Since then, obviously, the attitude of students—and of...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.6-7

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.003

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20313

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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IV. A color has many faces—
the relativity of color

Imagine in front of us 3 pots containing water, from left to right...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.8-11

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.004

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20314

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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V. Lighter and / or darker—
light intensity, lightness

~If one is not able to distinguish the difference between a higher tone
and a lower tone, one probably should not make music.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.12-17

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.005

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20315

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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VI. 1 color appears as 2—
looking like the reversed grounds

~Having presented, in the previous problem, a very detailed explanation
of a step-by-step method of teaching and learning, the following problem
permits a briefer description.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.18-19

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.006

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20316

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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VII. 2 different colors look alike—
subtraction of color

~The fact that one and the same color can perform many different roles
is well known and is consciously applied.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.20-21

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.007

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20317

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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VIII. Why color deception?—
after-image, simultaneous contrast

~For a better understanding of why colors read differently
from what they really (physically) are, we show now
the cause of most color illusions.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.22-23

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.008

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20318

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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IX. Color mixture in paper—
illusion of transparence

~It is obvious that in working with color paper there is no way
of mixing the colors mechanically, as paint and pigment permit,
and as they invite one to do on a palette or in a container.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.24-26

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.009

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20319

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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X. Factual mixtures—
additive and subtractive

~Though the color class (as a rule) abstains from the use of colorants
(meaning pigments and paints) for reasons explained before,
the color studies in paper are related to the actual use of paint
as often as possible.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.27-28

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.010

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20320

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XI. Transparence and space-illusion
Color boundaries and plastic action

~A study of color mixture in paper leads to 3 important discoveries.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.29-32

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.011

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20321

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XII. Optical mixture—after-image revised

~In contrast to after-image, so far the main concern of our studies, here
is another very different color illusion called “optical mixture.”
Instead of 2 (or more) colors changing each other, “pulling” or “pushing”
each other into different appearances (toward both greater difference and greater...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.33-33

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.012

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20322

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XIII. The Bezold Effect

There is a special kind of optical mixture, the Bezold Effect, named after its
discoverer, Wilhelm von Bezold (1837–1907)...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.33-33

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.013

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20323

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XIV. Color intervals and transformation

~The tune of “Good morning to you” consists of 4 tones. It can be sung
in a high soprano, a low basso, and in all in-between voices, as well as
on many levels and in many keys. It can be played on innumerable instruments.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.34-36

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.014

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20324

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XV. The middle mixture again—
intersecting colors

~Our studies of illusionary transparence have shown how difficult it is
to find a middle mixture.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.37-38

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.015

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20325

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XVI. Color juxtaposition—
harmony—quantity

Color systems usually lead to the conclusion
that certain constellations within a system provide color harmony...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.39-44

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.016

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20326

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XVII. Film color and volume color—
2 natural effects

~Usually, we think of an apple as being red.
This is not the same red as that of a cherry or tomato.
A lemon is yellow and an orange is like its name.
Bricks vary from beige to yellow to orange,
and from ochre to brown to deep violet.
Foliage appears in innumerable shades of green.
In all these cases the colors named are...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.45-46

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.017

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20327

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XVIII. Free studies—
a challenge to imagination

~The previous chapters deal mostly with tasks to be solved as
class problems. Through them, all class members work in 1
direction only. This means they compete for the solution of
1 given problem at a time—that of a single color effect.
Although the solutions may differ considerably, and especially so
in their presentation,...

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.47-51

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.018

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20328

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XIX. The Masters—
color instrumentation

~It should be clear by now that our way of studying color
does not start with the past—neither with works of the past
nor with its theories.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.52-53

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.019

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20329

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XX. The Weber-Fechner Law—
the measure in mixture

~In order to obtain a graduated scale of greys, M. E. Chevreul,
the author of the famous book “The Laws of Contrast of Colour,”
gave the following instructions (from the English translation of 1868,
page 5, paragraph 11):

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.54-58

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.020

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20330

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXI. From color temperature to humidity in color

~Earlier, when explaining light intensity as lightness and color intensity
as brightness, we found that agreement is easier in the first case,
and difficult in the second.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.59-60

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.021

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20331

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXII. Vibrating boundaries
—enforced contours

~As a deception, this effect is related to our earlier experience
in which 2 colors appeared as 3 or 4 colors.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.61-61

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.022

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20332

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXIII. Equal light intensity—
vanishing boundaries

~Though rarely perceived, it is a fact that articulate boundaries
between colors can be made nearly unrecognizable, or made practically
invisible—through the choice of color alone.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.62-64

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.023

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20333

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXIV. Color theories—color systems

~Originally, we began our color course with a presentation
of various color systems, of color theories.

Author

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.65-67

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.024

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20334

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXV. On teaching color—some color terms

(10.37862/aaeportal.00210.025)

In the previous chapters we have presented a studio course,
or, if you prefer, a laboratory or workshop course...

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(10.37862/aaeportal.00210.025)

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.68-73

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20335

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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XXVI. In lieu of a bibliography—my first collaborators

This book presents results of search, not of what is academically called
research...

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PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.74-74

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00210.026

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-20336

Chapter subject tags:Albers, Josef. Interaction of colorColor--Study and teachingColor visionColor in visual communicationColor in design

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