The Discovery of Form brings together two pivotal figures of art after 1945 whose practices, though distinct in medium and context, are united by a shared commitment to form, light and clarity. This book explores the unexpected visual dialogue between Robert Adams’ contemplative black-and-white photographs of the American West and Josef Albers’ vigorous color studies from his “Homage to the Square” series.

Adams is known for his subtle yet searing critique of urban sprawl and environmental degradation, in compositions serene yet static and often shaped by a sense of alienation. In iconic series such as “The New West” and “Prairies,” he turns to light as both subject and symbol, allowing it to transcend the ordinary and hint at more enduring forms beneath the surface of American life. Albers, in turn, isolates color into meditative geometries, seeking a quiet equilibrium that Adams also evokes. Delicately interacting colors transform the framework of several squares into a shimmering whole due less to individual hues and more to the textural vibrations between them.

Featuring 70 photographs by Adams and twelve paintings by Albers, The Discovery of Form offers new insight into how their different approaches converge in a common search for pictorial order and meaning. Any sense of the artist trying to assert himself disappears: form transcends thematic constraints and a lasting sense of calm prevails.

Co-published with Zander Galerie, Cologne