Skyscrapers on Transparent Yellow 1929

Josef Albers made this painting, Skyscrapers on Transparent Yellow, using oil on glass. You can see Albers' love of colour in the sunny yellow background, against the black lines which form the 'skyscrapers'. There's something beautiful about the simple geometry and how it plays with our perception. The paint is smooth, almost like it’s been printed, which gives it a clean, graphic feel. Look closer, and you'll notice some faint horizontal lines, like ghostly echoes of the black 'skyscrapers'. The way Albers layers these elements makes you question what's solid and what's just a trick of the eye. Albers' work, especially his "Homage to the Square" series, explored how colours interact. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s work, where simple forms create a space for contemplation. It’s like they’re both showing us how much can be said with so little, inviting us to get lost in the subtleties.