Play adventures around the colour wheel

 
 
 
 

Re-PLAY

An Art Gallery WA interactive installation

 
 

“Re-PLAY is an entirely unplugged experience, offering a rare moment of connection and collaboration for audiences of all ages, with a powerful call to pause, reflect, and play.” - Art Gallery of WA

 

Thank you for joining us at the Art Gallery of WA for an interactive play adventure around the colour wheel!

Based on your gallery pop-up play experience, here are some resources and further information to keep you adventuring on into colour theory, play and loose parts.

 
 

Newton’s colour wheel

Sir Isaac Newton’s colour wheel forms the foundation of our western understanding of light and colour. Newton named the primary colours as he saw them through a prism — blue, red and yellow. Secondary colours are combinations of these, followed by tertiary colours that mixed both primary and secondary colours.

You can test Newton’s theory of colours by making a colour disc and spinning it. What happens when all the colours are on the disc? What happens when you pick two or three colours to spin?

Have a go using these instructions to make your spinning colour disc on the Kids Fun Science channel.

Why do the colours disappear to white?? Make your spinning disc with these instructions and test out light and colour effects.

The Bauhaus School, from 1919 to 1933, forged a historical development in colour theory that forms the basis of visual art in the western world. Bauhaus artists like Johannes Itten studied colour in depth combining art, science and psychology.

Itten’s colour wheel, 1961.

 
 

Colour and optical illusion

Ever looked at the world through rose coloured glasses? Remember when presents or flowers were gifted in cellophane? What if you’re colour blind and see colours differently?

You can test out many optical illusions by making origami spinners, or using pieces of different colour cellophane to view objects and see how this might alter the colour.

Here are some origami colour spinner designs to get you going, by origami maker, Jo Nakashima.

Bauhaus colour wheel designs.

 
 
 

A theory of loose parts

“In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and variables in it.”
— Simon Nicholson, 1971

Architect, Simon Nicholson, observed the design and curation of museums and galleries and noticed their limited potential to engage with children, “because they do not meet the loose parts requirement”.

Nicholson explored this further and wrote an article called “How not to cheat children: A theory of loose parts” (1971) where he highlighted key elements that have led to a better understanding of the value of loose parts in play spaces for children everywhere.

If you’re interested to know more about play and its many benefits or the use of loose parts in play spaces, get in touch with us.

 

Like to know more?

If you enjoyed playing at the Art Gallery with us and investigating colour, then stay in touch with us for more activations and art sessions.