Colour Beyond the Surface: Art in Architecture

The book discusses the role of art in architecture with a particular focus on colour and the dynamic relationships between light, form, material surface, space and movement. Drawing on historical examples to establish recurring themes, it examines the work of artists (including Tess Jaray, Mark Titchner, Toby Paterson, Sinta Tantra, Jason Bruges and Morag Myerscough) and architects whose use of colour is informed by artistic practice (such as Bolles + Wilson). It explores successful collaborations where a symbiotic relationship between art and architecture is firmly established, such as between Antoni Malinowski and Haworth Tompkins; Bruce McLean and Will Alsop; Eric Parry with Richard Deacon; Herzog & de Meuron with Michael Craig-Martin; Grayson Perry with FAT Architecture/Charles Holland: A House for Essex. Engagingly written and beautifully illustrated, it is divided into three main sections: the first focusing on architecture, the second on the artworks and the final section on collaboration. Throughout, it bridges time, insightfully comparing historic artworks and spaces with contemporary ones, addressing key questions such as 'if an artwork is self-sufficient, how is this accommodated within an architectural setting without compromising both?' and setting out examples of what does and doesn’t work.