Slade Summer School: Colour in Practice

About

Colour is a fundamental phenomenon in culture and a major element in the practice of artists. To understand the many aspects of colour, this course explores the subject through lectures and seminars, practice and critiques. It interweaves aspects of colour science with colour practice to equip students with an in-depth knowledge of colour theory and its practical application. It aims to inform students' creative decision-making and increase their ability to realise the power of colour in their own work. Through a series of morning lectures we will examine the physics and chemistry of colour, the history of colour in art, the role of our culture and language in colour concepts, and the psychology and emotion of colour. The practical element of the course will follow the lectures and will involve various projects to tackle such issues as the interaction of colour, colour mixing, the relationship between form and colour, and the spatial effects of colours. There will be workshops with invited fine artists for whom colour plays a key role in their work. During the second week students will have time to develop their personal work in relation to their colour research, with individual tutorial support. This work might either be generated from ideas arising from the lectures and practical exercises in the early part of the course, or arise from issues pertinent to students' own established practice. The emphasis will be on the development of ideas, preparation and process, using a variety of approaches and techniques.