Tomostpeopleheisknownas"thesquareman."Forthelasttwenty-fiveyearsofhislifeJosefAlbersmadeoverathousandofhisHomagestotheSquare,paintingsandprintsinfourcarefulformatsthatgavecoloranunprecedentedvoice.Hecalledthem"platterstoservecolor":vehiclesforthepresentationofdifferentcolorclimatesandvariouscoloreffects,aboveallforthedemonstrationofthewaythatsolidcolorschangeaccordingtotheirpositionsandsurroundings.JosefAlberswouldtellthoseofusluckyenoughtostandathissideinhisstudio,withvibrantlycoloredpanelsinfrontofus,"Look!Theygoinwardandoutwardatthesametime.Theyareflatandtwo-dimensional"-Josefwouldholdoutbothofhishands,startingwiththemtogether,andthenmakeasweepingmotionashepulledthemapartalongaflatplaneandopenedhisarmslikewings-"andatthesametimetheymovebackintospace,intothethirddimension,andthencometowardus,inandout,outandin."Herehewouldholdhisrighthandwiththefingersstretchedout,paralleltotheground,andmoveitincrementally,instages,backwardsandforwards.

"Upanddown,rightandleft!Andithappensatonce.Theyellowthatisbrightandsunnyonthesidesappearsadeepergoldinthemiddle,whereithaslightersurroundings,"hewouldsay,pointingtoaVariant."Youthinkthemiddlesquareistheonenearesttoyou'hewouldsay,turningtowardanewgreenandblueHomage,"butamomentlateritisfaraway,reallyfaraway,awindowopentoadistantuniverse."Josefalwayspaintedthemiddlesquaresfirstbecausehisfather,ahousepainter,hadtoldhimthat,"whenyoupaintadoor,youalwaysstartatthemiddle,andworkout,becausethatwayyoucatchthedripsanddon'tgetyourcuffsdirty."

Thewaythatthemiddlesquarecouldappear,insistently,tohavebeenpaintedontopofanothercolor;thewaythatinaVarianttheviewerisconvincedthatabandofcolorisatranslucent,tissue-paperthincoatingofpaintontopofthetwocolorsthatappear,irrefutably,toshowthroughit-whileinfacteachofthesecolorsisstraightfromthetube,appliedtothewhitegessobackground,withnohueeverontopofanother-iswhatJosefwouldcall"thediscrepancybetweenphysicalfactandpsychiceffect."Thosewordswerehispersonal"Hallelujah!"

Josefwasdrivingatcertainpointsinthesepaintings.Achangeofcolorsintwopaintingsofidenticalformattransformsboththeemotionalcharacterandtheapparentphysicalactionofforms.Someofthesepaintingsarerestrained,otherseuphoric;somemoveataslowtempo,othersatvertiginousspeed.Thereisnorightorwrong,ofcourse,nobetteror"notasgood";theyareallfinejewels.

Inthesepaintings,Joseffoundhisvehiclefordemonstratingthatcolorsaltertheirappearanceaccordingtotheirsurroundings;agreenhasoneappearanceinaseaofpink,andaverydifferentonewhenitabutssomberbrownsandgrays.Andnowhehadanewmeansofdemonstratingthatincompatibleformsofmotioncanappeartooccursimultaneously.Theconfigurationsoscillateleftandrightalongthepictureplanebutalsoawayfromitintomysteriousdepths.Tocontradictrealityandinducetheviewer'sincredulity,andtotaketheviewerintoanewkingdom,thatofart,wasJosef’smission.

OnedayJosefaskedme,(infrontofoneofhisVariants)whichcolorIsawinthegreatestquantity.Ihesitatedbetweenorangeandgreen.Hewatched,withdelight,asItriedtomakeupmymind.Thenheexplainedthatifthereweretwentypeopleinhisstudio,ratherthanjustthetwoofus,oneoranotherpersonwouldprobablyhaverespondedwitheachofthefivecolorsinthepaintings.Butinfact,heexplainedwithamagician'sdelight,therewerevirtuallyequalamountsofeachcolorinthepainting."Thethingis,Nick,theorangeshouts;itmakesitselfmorepresentthanthegray.Butthatisthepropertyoforange,anditaffectsourperception.Yetsomeoneelsemightthinkthereismoreofthegray,becauseweeachperceivecolordifferently.Itisallaboutperception,notaformulaicrecipeforreality."Hegrinnedwithjoy,andendedhiscommentarybysaying,exultantly,"Thisismymadness!Myinsanity!''

ItisnowjustoverfiftyyearssinceInteractionofColorwaspublishedand,almostimmediately,begantochangethewaypeopleallovertheworldthoughtaboutseeing.Shortlyafteritcameout,itbecameabest-sellingbook,asithasbeeneversince.Itssuccessiseasytounderstand,foritbringsinfinitepersonalpleasurewhileperpetuallyexpandingthewaythatcolorsareusedandperceivedinart,architecture,textiles,interiordesign,andgraphicmediaateveryleveloftechnology.Yetweshouldnotforgetthatwhenitwasinitiallypublished,Interactionwas,likeeverythingJosefAlbersdid,abraveexperiment,andlikeallforaysintotheunprecedented,itwasthesubjectofcontroversy.EvenifforthemostpartInteractionwashighlypraised,occasionallytheresponsewasfarfromlaudatory.Writersvaryintheirresponsestonegativecriticism-somesayingitisfine,sinceallthatcountsistheamountofcoverage,othersfeelingstung.JosefAlbers,whosawhimselfassomethingofamartyrtomodernism,bothregrettedtheattacksandwasintriguedbythem.Partofthefascinationofbeingblastedwasthatitconfirmedthathehadreallystartledpeopleandtakenthembeyondtheirnormalcomfortzone.Eversincehehadleftaworldwhereartwaspracticedinanacceptable,academicway-intheacademiesofBerlinandMunich,andinthepubliceducationsysteminwhichhetaughtinhisnativeWestphalia-andgonetotheBauhaus,hehadknownwhatitwastoinspiresuchcontroversialresponse.Bauhausmodernismmaynowbeinthepantheonofacceptability,butbackthenitstartledanddispleasedthelargeraudience.ThesamewastrueofBlackMountainCollege,whereAlberswentafter1933,whentheBauhausclosed,andwhereheremainedforsixteenyears;todaythatpioneeringinstitutionisworshipped,butatthetimealotofwhatwascreatedtherewasviewedasaformofheresy.Later,in1950,whenAlbersbeganhisHomagestotheSquare,hewas

mocked.Twentyyearsafterthat,whenhewasthefirstlivingartistgivenasoloretrospectiveatTheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,theworkthatpeoplelikeClementGreenberghadlambastedwasfinallyrecognizedforitsingenuity,integrity,andsubsumingbeauty.Nowthathalfacenturyhaspassedithasachievedthestatus,howeverdubious,ofbeingabluechipfinancialcommodity,butatthestartitwas,likeanystatementbyamessiah,criticizedvociferously.WhenYaleUniversityPresscourageously,andwithallofthesuperbstandardsrequiredbyasexactinganartistasAlbers,broughtoutInteractionofColorin1963,thepublicationgenerallyhadaneasiertimethanmostoftheartist'sventures.Thiswasequallytruewhenthepaperbackversioncameoutin1971.Buttherewastheoccasionaldiatribe.AndAlbers,proudashewasofthesalesandalltheenthusiasmforthebook,oftheapplauseworldwide,wasfascinatedatbeingalightningrodfordissent.Theoctogenarianclippedthefewbadreviewsthatappearedalongwithdozensoffavorableonesandtriedtofindoutmoreabouttheirauthors.Thevoicesof"nay"appearedinobscurepublications,buttheystillcounted.Oneofthereasonstheartistwassointerestedwasthatthethingsforwhichthecriticsattackedthebookswereexactlytheelementsthatexcitedhimthemost,becausetheyrecommendedsucharadicaldeparturefromtraditional,hideboundwaysofseeing.ArthurCarpwastheauthorofanattackinthemagazineLeonardo.Topresenttheflaws,CarpwrotethatAlbersconsidered"goodteaching….’moreamatterofrightquestionsthan...ofrightanswers.’Hedeprecates'self-expression,'asopposedto'abasicstep-by-steplearning.'Studentsareurgedtousedislikedcolorsinthehopetheymayovercometheirprejudices."Carpusedthesepointstodemonstratethat"onedoubtsifAlbersisreallybeinghelpful"andtojustifythestatement"Wouldthathewerelessofadilettante(pejorativeconnotation)!"EverythingthatCarpattacked,ofcourse,waswhatAlbersbelievedinandwhatothersapplauded.AsHowardSayreWeaverwroteinareviewthatappearedin1963followingpublicationofthefirstedition,InteractionofColorwasa"grandpassporttoperception."Itassumedthatgloriousrolebecauseitwas,"essentially,aprocess:auniquemeansoflearningandteachingandexperiencing."WeaverreferredtoAlbers'sfondnessforthewordsofJohnRuskin:"Hundredsofpeoplecantalk,foronewhocanthink.Butthousandsofpeoplecanthink,forone

whocansee."Mostpeople,soonerorlater,haverecognizedthemiraculouswayinwhichInteractionofColorfacilitatessuchseeing.Inthe1963ArchitecturalForum,adesignteacheratCooperUnionwasamongthoseprescientenoughtowrite,"InteractionofColoristhemostcomprehensiveandintelligent,aswellasthehandsomest,bookweyethaveonthissubject.Itisanindispensablevolumefortheartist,architect,orteacherwhofindsagreaterchallengeindiscoverythanina'safe'colorsystem."Thatsameyear,DoreAshton,reviewingthebookinStudio,wasperceptiveenoughtorecognizethatAlberswastheoppositeofthepedagogueCarpaccusedhimofbeing;rather,hisachievementjustifiedhiscommentthat"teachingisnotamatterofmethodbutofheart.''Theyearafterthepaperbackcameout,thepoetMarkStrand,inSaturdayReview,sawJosefAlbers'sworkasdemonstratingthat"whencolorchallengesthesafe,enclosinggeometricalpropertiesofthepictorialsurface,asitismeantto,itdoessowithaslownessanddelicacythataredisarmingandabeautythatisexhilarating."Whatonepersondisdained,anothersawasgroundbreaking.Albers'sapproachwasrevolutionary,puttingexperimentationatthefore.Itdisputedtraditionalnotionsoftaste.Itsoughttoengageratherthanmerelyinform.Asakeenobserverofthehumancomedy,Alberswasparticularlyawarethatsometimeshisdetractorswerewell-knownfigures,andhischampionsobscureones.DonaldJudd,inARTSMagazinein1963,calledInteractionofColor"primarilypedagogical."Juddwentonwithamixtureofmoderate,pseudo-Hemingwayesqueadulation,"Thebookmakes,toputitsimply,oneunqualifiedpoint,thatcolorisimportantinart.Itdoesthisverywell."-andbizarre,incomprehensibledisparagement:"TheInteractionofColoristhebestthatcanbedone.ItisjustthatithasalltheBiblicalpossibilities,sinceitisclearandhaslimits,ofanatomyoroftheothersubjectswhosepresenceandperfectionaresupposedtodefineart.Thebookshouldbeusedbutnotthatway."AlberswouldneverknowthatJuddwould,twodecadeslater,followingtheolderartist'sdeath,rescindthesewordsandmakepilgrimagestoAlbers'sstudio,feelingthathehadnotdonejusticetowhatInteractionwasallaboutandregrettinghisyouthfularrogance.Inanyevent,takingitallinstride,AlberswascertainlypleasedthatanunknownacademicattheUniversityofNevadainLasVegashadbeenamongthosetogetthemainpoint,inspades,ofInteraction:"Inanageinwhichincreasedhumansensibilityhasbecomesuchanobviousneedinallareasofhumaninvolvement,colorsensitivityandawarenesscanconstituteamajorweaponagainstforcesofinsensitivityandbrutalization."

Thiswasthepoint.Thequalityofheart,theimpactonallofhumanlife,waswhatJosefAlberssoughtinhisapproach.NicholasFoxWeber