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Interaction of Color

Published in 1963, the Interaction of Color still remains the yardstick by which all books that cover color relationships and human perception are judged. Albers was a master at fleshing-out the myriad range of optical topics we subconsciously take for granted. That being said–this book is by no means for the novice looking for basic color theory principals. The content is instead meant for any artist seeking to delve into a deeper understanding of color experimentation and their findings.

Albers covers subjects such as the relativity of color light intensity, darkness gradation studies, color juxtaposition—the list goes on and on. With lessons in theory integrated into practical exercises, Albers pushes us to go beyond the obvious. Not a book that you can plough through, this is one that needs to be thoughtfully read and digested.

by Josef Albers

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