Study for Layered 

Josef Albers composed this study with oil on paper; its stacked forms and interplay of color invite us to consider the universal human impulse to create order from chaos. The horizontal bands and rectangular blocks resonate with ancient architectural forms, reminiscent of ziggurats or terraced landscapes, structures that speak to mankind's earliest attempts to structure the earth, mirroring a need for stability. We see echoes of this layering in the frescoes of ancient Crete, where color blocks denoted different strata of reality or levels of narrative. This impulse to layer and delineate space is not just structural; it's psychological. Think of the mind itself, sectioned into layers of consciousness and memory, each influencing the other. The emotional resonance of Albers' composition lies in its subconscious evocation of these primal forms. It's a testament to the enduring power of simple shapes to convey complex ideas about structure, memory, and the human condition.