Color is the most relative
medium in art
If one in a group says ‘red’, we can be sure that there are as many different conceptions
of red as there are individuals in that group.
Even when reminded of a special red as,
for instance, of the Esso, Sunoco, Amoco
signs which we see innumerable times the remembered reds remain very different
in our minds.
Only by confronting the group actually with such red, all group members will have the same visual perception.
But still, the individual associations and emotional reactions will differ vastly.
There are a number of reasons for such diversion in both seeing and remembering colors.
First, our visual memory is amazingly poor (whereas our auditory memory is excellent).
Second, our nomenclature for colors is embarassingly insufficient (our daily vocabulary provides about 30 names for thousands of colors).
Third, and most important, no color is percieved as what it actually is, that is, physically. Without special devices we never see a color singualrly or by itself (as we may hear single tones), but in relationship to many factors which influence our vision, which transfer the optical (physio-physiological) susception into a physiological effect (perception).
First of all, adjacent colors exert a double change: In relation to hue , any stronger color pushes the neighbouring color to its opposite, the complementary color. In relation to light, any light color makes its neighbour look darker, and vice versa.
So the red of those signs looks changing all
the time not only because of the changing
light conditions but also because of the surroundings, sky foliage, architecture, etc.
Secondly, the larger quantity (in area and numbers) influences juxtaposed colors in
a similar way, and so does pronunciation
of shape.
Third, the constellation (placement above
or below, left or right, etc.) as well as the boundaries (firm or loose contact, separation) change the appearance of colors.
All this enables the knowing colorist (painter, designer, etc.) to make equal colors look different and different colors alike; so that bight looks pale; and dull, intensive. He turns warm to cool, and the opposite; exchanges advancing and receding properties at liberty; makes opaque look transparent; definite shapes unrecognisable. In short, he not only recognizes that color is deceiving us all the time, but uses color as an acting agent, changing its identity in many ways.
Color is a magic force.
Josef Albers
Josef Albers
Study for Homage to the Square, 1975
Josef Albers
Study to 'affectionate' (Homage to the Square), 1954
Homage to the Square 'white core', 1964
Homage to the Square o. J./ n. d.
Study for Homage to the Square, 1973