Josef Albers Formulation : Articulation Prints
Available for “Adoption” through the Adopt an Artwork Program
The Union College Permanent Collection presently owns a copy of Josef Albers’ Formulation: Articulation. The 1972 set of two boxed portfolios of screen-printed “folders,” or double-page prints, presents selections from forty years of Albers’ work, placed in a sequential, rather than chronological, order so that the visual interaction between the prints is more apparent. A recent donation of six prints from another edition of these portfolios is in need of conservation so that they can be used for teaching and viewing, allowing the boxed portfolios to remain pristine and intact.
In fall of 2015, our staff presented Josef Albers’ Formulation: Articulation to John D. MacArthur Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Laini Nemett and her Painting in Oil class.
The donated prints require some conservation work: the paper support will be cleaned to remove foxing and discoloration; then the damaged areas will be relaxed as much as possible with controlled moisture; any areas that have lifted will be re-adhered and reinforced; if necessary, the prints will be humidified to return to plane; finally, archival hinges and wheat paste will be applied in preparation for matting. These treatments range in cost from about $875 to $2,500, and the total treatment cost for all six prints is approximately $8,700.
Josef Albers, Folio II Folder 27, from Formulation : Articulation, 1972, screenprint on Mohawk Superfine Bristol wove paper, Ives-Sillman, Inc. in collaboration with Harry N. Abrams, gift of Charles and Meg Gianfagna, Union College Permanent Collection, 2017.15.5 UCPC