Color Experiments at CRASH Space

Learn how to magically turn one color into two and turn an opaque piece of paper into a translucent screen! First at Black Mountain College and then at Yale, Josef Albers taught his students to view colors not as objects but experiences. Together, attendees will recreate 3 of Albers’ color experiments and see these transformations first hand (with CRASHer Nick and not Josef).

In this class, we'll recreate two exercises from Josef Albers' 1963 book Interaction of Color. Based on his influential class at Black Mountain College (1933-49), Albers' approach to teaching color centered on the concept of "color relativity"—the idea that our perception of color depends entirely on its context.

In the first exercise, we'll place one color on different backgrounds to observe how various combinations dramatically alter our perception of that single color.

The second exercise pushes this concept further: using just three colors, we'll create a convincing illusion of transparency. Speaking from experience, it feels like a magic trick—but one that becomes even more fascinating once you understand how the illusion works.

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CRASH Space is a non-profit organization located in Los Angeles and run by volunteers. We are a collection of artists, hackers, programmers, builders, and makers. Our members use the space to work on their projects, share ideas, and help each other create whatever they envision.

Nick Duch is an architect, designer, and artist whose practice focuses on combining new technologies with traditional ways of making. He's long admired Josef Albers' work and recently had the opportunity to attend a workshop taught by Fritz Horstman of the Albers Foundation during Palm Springs Modernism Week.

Host or Publisher CRASH Space