Bob Boyer: His Life's Work

1. Symbols and Interpretation

“Reading” the Visual Language of Bob Boyer
Click on an image to explore the meanings of the symbols employed in this artwork by Bob Boyer.

How to Play the Game:
In this artwork there are 12 unique symbolic references. Move the mouse over the painting to discover these symbols. Click on the symbol to view a description and collect the object below. Collect all 12 symbols.
Hint: Click on the symbols bar at the bottom of the screen to highlight any missing symbols.

2. Beadwork Design 1

Create a Bilaterally Symmetrical Beadwork Design
Influenced by Northern Plains art and culture, traditional beadwork design also provided stimuli for the art of Bob Boyer.

How to Play the Game:
Create your own design by selecting a colour and then clicking on the beads which appear on the left hand side of your screen. Once you have coloured in the beads, you can click on the button to see a mirror image of your design on the opposite side.

3. Beadwork Design 2

Create a Beadwork Design with Radial Symmetry
Stylistic and technical approaches to beadwork differ from region to region, as well as from nation to nation. Circles and cycles hold significance in many cultures which is reflected in Bob Boyer’s early paintings and can also be found in traditional beadwork designs.

How to Play the Game:
Create a radial design by selecting a colour and then clicking on the beads which appear in the top left quarter of your screen. After you have coloured in the beads, you can click on the button to see your radial design emerge.

4. Symmetry in Nature

A Matching Game based on Symmetry in Nature
Bilateral symmetry is prevalent throughout Bob Boyer’s work. Symmetry in biology is the balanced distribution of duplicate body parts or shapes. In bilateral symmetry, one half is an approximate mirror image of the other.

How to Play the Game:
The top of your screen contains images from nature that are bilaterally symmetrical, such as butterflies, dragonflies, and leaves. All images are upside down and divided in half. First, click on an image at the top. Scroll through the images at the bottom to find the one that matches it. Click on that to unify the image and turn it right side up.