Albers Paper Exercises

Table of Contents

Build 3D paper structures

Bauhaus philosophy centered on the act of building. Artist and Bauhaus master Josef Albers challenged his students to think deeply about the art of construction by using a single sheet of paper to create a 3D design. Explore how two of these designs were created, and then build your own 3D structure.


Create your own designs

Using the following examples of Bauhaus student work as inspiration, explore making your own designs with this downloadable Freeform Exercise pattern.

Fig. 49.
Fig. 50.
Fig. 51.
Materialübung (Material study). Artwork: artist unknown, n.d. Paper. Photo: Alfred Ehrhardt, ca. 1928–1929. Gelatin silver print. 23.1 x 15 cm. Bauhaus Student Work, 1919–1933. The Getty Research Institute, 850514. © Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung

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