One of the things that fascinates and delights me most about colour and pattern is the way that different colourways can change a pattern – the wallpaper design above (by Cole and Sons) is a perfect example. Sometimes the effect can be so extreme as to change the pattern out of all recognition; the way that colours interact with each other, and the optical effects this interaction produces, can seriously deceive our eyes – not to mention messing with our heads a little too. If you’ve ever wanted to find out more about this phenomenon, a very clever iPad app has just come out that lets us do just that.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the work of textile artist Anni Albers, and mentioned in passing her husband, Josef, who was also an artist but is probably best known for his work as a pioneer and inspirational teacher in the field of colour theory. To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work on these complex principles – “Interaction of Colour” – Yale University Press have launched an iPad app that brings a whole new meaning to the “interaction” of the title.
Interaction of Colour was written by Albers as a handbook and teaching aid; this new digital version reproduces the full text and 125 of its original color studies along with more than 60 new interactive plates that allow us to conduct our own colour theory experiments with the digital equivalent of the coloured papers that Albers and his students would have used.
We can swipe and drag these coloured tabs, save our work and share it too – the short video below shows how:
There are also fascinating archival videos of Albers teaching in the classroom, and commentaries from Nicholas Fox Weber (pictured left), who was a student of Albers and is now Executive Director of the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation.
I think this is a beautiful app in every sense and it can be used at any level by colour lovers of all ages. It’s fun and easy to browse, the brightly coloured plates can be enjoyed simply as a dose of digital colour therapy, and the fascinating principles they illustrate are clearly explained. If we want to delve deeper, then the interactive exercises are intuitive and easy to use; we can do them as many times as we wish, and save our efforts too. Serious students of colour theory can apply the lessons in a more rigorous way yet, and make the app an integral part of their colour theory education. Albers espoused and practiced the principles of education by practical experimentation and “doing” first, and the learning of theory second, and this app is perfectly designed to continue that philosophy.
They say that “seeing is believing” but in the wonderful world of colour theory nothing can be taken for granted – take a look for yourself; I guarantee a lot of fun, even more surprises, and much “doing” and effortless learning.
Images: Cole and Son, itunes.apple.com
Comments are closed.