Search Versus Re-Search: Recollections of Josef Albers at Yale

Many describe Albers as a crucial mentor: open-minded, progressive, and democratic. Others found him overbearing or even autocratic. Nowhere is this paradox more pronounced than in the varied voices of women students amongst the boys’ club of 1950’s Yale. These first-hand accounts of Albers from his former students and colleagues — William Bailey, Audrey Flack, Karsten Harries, Erwin Hauer, Sheila Hicks, and Richard Lytle — not only suggest Albers’ teaching methods and ideals, but also provide a glimpse into his personality and his relationships.