joy slots Following their precipitous meeting at the famed Bauhaus school in 1922, artists Josef and Anni Albers, arguably the most enduring couple to emerge from the Bauhaus movement , would chart the rest of their lives as a kind of two-person artistic powerhouse. Despite spending more than half a century together and enjoying flourishing individual careers, though, there were only three occasions on which the Albers’ collaborated artistically: Easter, New Year’s, and Christmas. The Albers had “the utmost respect for one another’s work,” says Nicholas Fox Weber, executive director of the non-profit Josef & Anni Albers Foundation , who was a close personal friend of the couple’s, and wrote the 2020 visual biography Anni & Josef Albers: Equal and Unequal . But the couple, who married in 1925, were content to remain solidly in their own spheres. “She was the weaver and he was the painter, and neither was going to get into the other’s realm,” Weber explains. They would, however, stray from that rule for those three select holidays, during which they worked together to make commemorative art. True to their innovative perspectives, the Albers’ holiday cards aren’t merely simple greetings, but rather uniquely design-centric takes on the holiday tradition. They also provide a rare glimpse into how two of the most influential recent designers enjoyed Christmas as a couple. A BAUHAUS APPROACH TO GREETING CARDS The Foundation’s collection of the Albers’ holiday cards begins in 1934, at the start of a new chapter in the couples’ lives. The year prior, the Bauhaus was forced to close by political pressure from the Nazi party—pressure that also spurred the Albers to relocate to the U.S. Both Josef and Anni took up teaching positions in North Carolina at Black Mountain College, a location that inspired several of the Christmas cards to come. | At first glance, the cards don’t exactly look like traditional Christmas notes (aside from the usual refrain, “Happy Christmas and Happy New Year, Josef and Anni Albers”). Rather, each one is its own exploration in graphic design, featuring details like textile-inspired dot patterns, abstracted letterforms, and hand-altered postcards. The pair’s 1934 Christmas card was one of the first that Josef printed at Black Mountain College. Its simple, all-caps red font reflects a distinctly Bauhaus emphasis on simplicity and legibility over ornamentation, while the composition as a whole embraces the design ideal of balanced asymmetry. Weber once told Dezeen of Josef and Anni’s shared design philosophy, “They were both very interested in form following function. Everything was about process and understanding the materials and technology of putting them together.” In later years, particularly between 1950 and 1960, the cards demonstrate a growing fascination with shape and line, using a minimalist black and white palette as a starting point. In 1951, a partially erased grid suggests the outline of a Christmas tree. The following year, a pattern created solely from white dots evokes a kind of festive textile, reminiscent of some of Anni’s groundbreaking work in the weaving space. A christmas tradition A closer inspection of the cards, Weber says, reveals some clues as to how the Albers spent their Christmases. “There were a lot of things they didn’t do, but in their own simple way, they celebrated Christmas,” he says. “I say their own simple way, because they spent it at home together—not socializing—and listening to Bach’s Goldberg Variations . When you look at the holiday cards, you can really practically imagine the clarity of the Goldberg Variations : a lightness, a certain rhythm.” Beyond the main art displayed on each card, the Albers also paid close attention to each missive’s actual construction. The letters were so well-made, Weber says, that many of the Albers’ friends framed them every year. “The holiday cards relate very closely to the Albers’ very beautiful stationery. We’re talking about the days when a lot was done by letter. Anni and Josef had particularly handsome letterheads—you knew that every detail of the spacing was given great consideration. The cards are in the tradition of the letterheads. The holiday itself was important to both of them; they both had a sense of Christmas tradition,” Weber says. Anni, for one, came from a wealthy background, once sharing with Weber her distinct memories of traveling by carriage to her uncles’ homes, where, alongside her brothers and sisters, she would eat delicacies including beluga caviar, rock lobster, and an ice cream cake. Josef, who grew up in a middle-class household, enjoyed these tales of excess. In 1975, Weber personally purchased the ingredients for Anni and Josef to enjoy a Christmas dinner reminiscent of those luxurious early years. That holiday season was ultimately the last that the two shared, as Josef died the following March. “To this day, at Christmastime, I crave the pure tastes of the Alberses’ last Christmas together and must have one such atavistic meal,” Weber wrote in an essay on the topic for Air Mail last year. “And I listen to Glenn Gould playing that phenomenal music of Bach, aware that in Leipzig, Josef had made wonderful stained-glass windows very near to the church where Bach had long been organ master, and that the sublime intelligence of Bach suited the Alberses perfectly.”

PM to attend Maha CM’s oath-taking ceremony on Dec 5, says BawankuleMichail Antonio spoke to his West Ham team-mates via a video call from his hospital bed before they beat Wolves 2-1 on Monday night. Jarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” MA9 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fXwtdSQWYE — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 9, 2024 West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. "He was here since I came and he's really my favourite" Tomáš Souček on dedicating his goal to Michail Antonio ❤️ pic.twitter.com/smNy26wmuX — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 9, 2024 “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”

NoneKansas City Chiefs fans and Hallmark movie lovers alike are in for a treat this Thanksgiving weekend. “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” premieres on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 (11/30/24) at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel . The movie spent time filming at Arrowhead Stadium and includes several, star-studded Kansas City Chiefs cameos. How to watch: Fans can watch “Holiday Touchdown” for free via a trial of Philo , DirecTV Stream or fuboTV , which is offering $30 off this month. Here’s what you need to know: What: “Holiday Touchdown” premiere When: Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: Hallmark Channel Live stream: Philo (free trial), fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) Kansas City Chiefs’ cameos: Head coach Andy Reid , offensive guard Trey Smith , wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. , running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and defensive end George Karlaftis . Donna Kelce , the mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce , also plays a role in the Hallmark original. Film Synopsis: Chiefs superfan Alana [ Hunter King ] tries to win the Fan of the Year Award as a Christmas gift for her family, falling in love with someone in the Chiefs front office [Tyler Hynes] along the way. *** Here’s an entertainment story via the Associated Press: Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “It’s clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don’t know them and I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what’s been put out there,” said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician. She was inspired by the couple’s support of each other’s accomplishments, particularly Kelce’s ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, “I love the way that he celebrates her.” Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind. “There are so many Easter eggs,” she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. “I put in as many as I could.” Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted. In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family’s dedication to the team goes back generations. Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs beat the 49ers 25-22. “I was still nursing my wounds,” she said adding that Hallmark asked, ‘Can you can you separate yourself from the loss and do this movie? I said, ’Absolutely. I mean, I’m a professional,‘" Sherman Wolfe said, laughing. While “Holiday Touchdown” has no mention of Swift or Kelce, it does feature a few Chiefs player cameos and Donna Kelce also has a small role. “I kept botching my line,” Hynes said of working with Mama Kelce. “I was just like, Donna Kelce’s about to speak and I’m beside myself. It was so fun.” The actors also got to film at Arrowhead Stadium and on the field. RECOMMENDED • nj .com Which Kansas City Chiefs stars have cameos in Hallmark’s new Christmas movie? | How to watch ‘Holiday Touchdo Nov. 30, 2024, 6:00 a.m. How to watch the Las Vegas Raiders Black Friday game today (11/29/24) | FREE LIVE STREAM, time, TV channel fo Nov. 29, 2024, 6:00 a.m. “Those were just some of the coolest moments I’ve ever gotten to have working on a movie,” King said. (The Associated Press contributed to this report) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records showIsraeli air strikes on Yemen airport ‘were metres from WHO chief’

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