New on the shelves

I just came across this Associated Press story on a recently released book called "The Bauhaus: Six Masters of Modernism." Written by Nicholas Fox Weber, the book retells the story of a septet of artists who were able to give the German arts school its level of prestige in the early 20th century through their ground-breaking work. One of those artists was our friend, Wasily Kandinsky.

Two others were the husband-wife tandem of Josef and Anni Albers, who actually wound up in Connecticut in 1950 after Josef accepted the position of chairman of the Department of Design at the Yale University School of Art. Josef Albers was one of the forefathers of the modern ideals of visual aesthetics known probably most famously for his series of different colored squares entitled "Homage to the Square." Anni was a renowned textile artist and printmaker in her own right.

Back when I worked in Arkansas, I did a cover story on a traveling art exhibition of Albers and spoke with one of the curators at the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany (Conn.). It should be noted that Webber is the foundation's executive director. I just now realized how close that is to Hamden. Has anybody ever visited the foundation's galleries? I certainly will try to one of these days.