The rolls in Cables contradict the laws of perspective, reflecting Albers’ interest in the psychology of perception. He used visual trickery to highlight the disjunction between what we see and how our brains process this information. This work was made by sandblasting coloured glass, a method originally devised for engraving headstones. Albers’ interest in such techniques related to his teaching at the Bauhaus, the school of art, architecture and design founded in Germany in 1919. The Bauhaus aimed to bring art closer to everyday life, with an emphasis on design and technology.