Date of Award

Spring 2020

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Art

First Advisor

Bradford Collins

Abstract

The topic of this thesis is the relationship between the artistic career of Anni Albers and her time spent at Black Mountain College. To give an accurate display of the impact that the school had on both her personal and professional life, the first chapter of this paper is dedicated to Albers’ biography prior to Black Mountain College. It discusses her upbringing and the years she spent at the Bauhaus, where her weaving career began. The weavings produced during this period will also be analyzed to provide the reader with an understanding of how Anni Albers’ time at Black Mountain College impacted her artistic repertoire. The second chapter of this thesis begins with the artist’s immigration to America and provides the reader with background information on the formation of Black Mountain College. Throughout this chapter, the evolution of Anni Albers’ role at the school, from a non-essential position to a department director, is discussed. The impact she had on the overall success of the institution is also examined as well as the opinions of her that have been expressed in interviews of Black Mountain College alumni. The art Albers produced in this period is also examined and compared to pieces that were created during her years at the Bauhaus to display the artistic evolution that occurred in her career while at Black Mountain College. The concluding portion of this chapter will discuss Albers’ life after leaving Black Mountain College and her legacy, specifically her solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and the re-visitation of her work by the Tate Modern Museum.

The overall goal of this paper is to display the impact of Black Mountain College on Anni Albers’ life through the examination of her personal biography and artistic retrospective. This paper will bring to light the hardships and lack of recognition faced by Anni Albers throughout her lifetime but how her time spent at Black Mountain College allowed her an outlet for expression that proved to combat both. In conclusion, this thesis will provide a biographical documentation of Anni Albers with a focus on the impact of her time at Black Mountain College.

Rights

© 2020, Kellen Rosslie Ledford

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