Colour

Colour is more than just what we see; it’s a phenomenon that exists at the intersection of nature, perception, culture, and technology. It shapes our experiences in subtle yet profound ways, guiding how we interpret the world around us and how we express our thoughts, emotions, and discoveries. This year, the topic of colour was chosen not simply to study its properties but to explore its boundless potential as a medium of inquiry, expression, and experimentation across disciplines.

Historically, the creation and use of colour have been deeply connected to materiality—the physical processes involved in producing pigments from minerals, plants, and animals. Indigo, for example, with its rich history and cultural significance, is not just a colour but a symbol of labour, trade, and global exchange.

The transformation of natural materials into vibrant hues like red, ultramarine, and vermilion has long fascinated both artists and scientists, each bringing their own techniques and philosophies to the table. As modern technology evolved, the invention of synthetic dyes expanded the artistic palette and allowed for new forms of expression. This convergence of science, economy, and culture is a reminder that colour is not simply an aesthetic choice, but a complex, evolving narrative shaped by human curiosity and innovation.

In the realm of perception, colour presents a fascinating duality—it is both a physical property and a subjective experience. The study of colour perception has puzzled philosophers for centuries and continues to be a rich area of research for scientists today. Philosophical debates about whether colour exists independently in the world or only in the mind mirror the scientific investigations into how our eyes and brains process light. The experience of colour is never neutral; it is filtered through the lens of individual and cultural interpretation, shaped by context, lighting, and memory. Optical illusions and variations in perception reveal just how fluid and fragile our understanding of colour can be. This tension between the objective reality of light wavelengths and the subjective experience of colour offers a space where art and science naturally overlap, each informing the other.

At the same time, colour’s cultural significance has been just as powerful in shaping its role in human history. Red, blue, yellow—these are not just visual experiences, but symbols deeply embedded in politics, religion, and identity. The symbolism of colour varies across time and geography, often carrying multiple meanings within different societies. In art, the deliberate use of colour has been a tool for conveying emotion, status, and belief systems. Whether used to decorate ancient temples or modern galleries, colour has always been a vehicle for meaning, a way to communicate something that goes beyond the visible.

And yet, the exploration of colour does not remain in the past. Today, advances in technology allow us to manipulate colour in unimagined ways. From digital art to virtual reality, from industrial design to medical imaging, the way colour is produced, measured, and perceived continues to evolve. The invention of synthetic pigments like mauve in the 19th century marked a turning point where colour moved from being rare and precious to something industrialised and accessible to all. Similarly, the measurement of light and colour, once a subjective endeavour, became a precise science. This shift—where the subjective becomes quantifiable—illustrates how deeply intertwined the aesthetic and the scientific have always been when it comes to understanding colour.

Colour also carries significant political weight, shaping narratives around identity, race, and social justice. Terms like “people of colour” reflect the historical and ongoing struggles against racism and marginalisation, highlighting how skin colour has been used as a tool for both oppression and empowerment. Similarly, phrases like “pick your colour” point to the use of colour as a form of self-expression and individual identity, yet also speak to societal divisions. Colour, in these contexts, becomes a symbol of power dynamics, representation, and the fight for equality and inclusion, reminding us that it is not only a visual phenomenon but a deeply social and political construct.

Colour is, in many ways, a symbolic thread running through various fields of knowledge. It binds together seemingly disparate areas of inquiry, providing a common language for art, science, philosophy, and technology. Yet, it remains elusive and open-ended, much like the process of creation itself. This year’s exploration of colour is not meant to provide answers, but rather to open up new avenues of thought, serving as a point of departure for individual and collective work.

By the end of the first year, the culmination of these reflections will take shape in the form of our exhibition, where each participant will become the curator of their own inquiries. This exploration need not be confined to the literal use of colour, but instead can expand outward, capturing the associations, contradictions, and inspirations that colours evoke. Whether through materials, concepts, or even the absence of it, the theme provides an underlying structure, allowing space for creative interpretation. The exhibition becomes a space where ideas are given form, where the intersection of the material and the metaphysical, the seen and the felt, can be explored in personal and unexpected ways.

In this sense, colour is not just the subject but the framework through which broader themes can be investigated. It invites both rigour and play, tradition and innovation, offering a fertile ground for the cross-pollination of ideas between art and science. The potential lies in how these elements can be woven together, allowing for new discoveries to emerge, not from a single perspective, but from the dialogue between disciplines. Through this process, colour will reveal itself not only as an aesthetic phenomenon but as a conceptual tool, opening doors to new ways of thinking, creating, and perceiving.

Art & Science October 2024