On Josef Albers: Despite Straight Lines

There is no world without a stage
and no one lives for not-appearing. 

Seeing of ears invites to speak, 
knowing of eyes invites to show. 

Notice also, silence sounds
listen to the voice of color. 

Semblance proves it can be truth
as every form has sense and meaning. 
- Josef Albers, Despite Straight Lines, page 8

"Another difficulty lies in the fact that the eye in search of reality or perhaps ultimate truth, wants to see more than the artist expresses. But here through the excitement of the unresolvable it stays bound to the work of art and develops new techniques for seeing." -  pages 23-4.

+ = –
The more
the sun shines, 
the more
water evaporates, 
clouds appear, 
and the sun
– shines less. 

The less
the sun shines, 
the less
water evaporates, 
clouds diminish, 
and the sun
– shines more. 

Da capo. 
- page 17

I picked up a copy of Josef Albers: Despite Straight Lines by Francois Bucher at the library yesterday. Anything to do with Albers automatically has my heart, and so far this book is marvelous. It is a beautiful treatise on design and the communicative potential of compositions. The illustrations alongside Albers' poetry and writing are thoughtful and profoundly complex despite their apparent simplicity. It's precisely the jolt of inspiration I needed this week.