A Life in Colour
A World Painted in Colour
Our world is a vibrant tapestry woven from countless colours, each with its own unique story and significance. From the breath-taking hues of the sky to the calming greens of nature, colour plays a profound role in our lives, influencing our emotions, shaping our perceptions, and even impacting our behaviour.
The journey of colour begins with our eyes. Evolved billions of years ago, in early organisms in the Cambrian period, these remarkable organs allow us to perceive the world in stunning detail, far exceeding the visual acuity of most creatures. This ability not only aids in finding food but also fosters communication, social bonds, and collaboration. Remarkably, humans possess the potential to distinguish up to a million colours, although individual perception can vary slightly. This subjectivity, influenced by cognitive and evolutionary factors, contributes to the fascinating diversity of our colour experiences.
Red
There is no doubt that our eyes have evolved to see red from a distance. Red causes muscle tension and other reactions which has benefits such as improving our chances of survival. For example, the red in traffic lights is a bright red with high saturation. After 1902, due to a need for better traffic management, the English name for this colour appeared. It has the characteristic of being easily recognizable at a glance, so things that need to be seen from a distance will often use red to attract the attention of their audience.
Blue
In 1941, psychologist Hans J. Eysenck analysed research data from 26 scholars and found that the most preferred colours were blue, red, and green, in that order. Blue took the top spot. He ultimately concluded that most people around the world have a fondness for the colour blue. Nowadays, blue has become the most popular colour worldwide; the flags and emblems of international organizations such as the United Nations and the WHO all use blue as their base colour.
Blue hasn’t always carried the same significance that it does for us today. In fact, some ancient cultures such as the Greeks and the Romans didn’t have a word for blue in their languages. This absence of a dedicated word doesn't necessarily mean that people couldn't perceive the colour blue, but rather that they used broader terms, descriptive phrases, or referenced blue indirectly. For instance, the Greeks might have described the ocean as "wine-dark" or the sky as "bronze”. Compared to primary colours like red and yellow which are readily available in nature (ochres, clays), blue pigments like Lapis lazuli were rare and expensive. This limited use and reduced the need for a specific word, causing some early languages to seem to have prioritized differentiating more readily available colours or those used in daily life and rituals. Blue, while present, might not have been as crucial in this system.
Green
Since ancient times, people have lived their lives surrounded by plants, and they continue to bring huge benefits to our lives in the modern world. The green colour of most plants has a calming effect on the mind and body, and the aromas of young shoots and green tea can effectively reduce fatigue. What’s more, practices such as the Japanese practice of forest bathing in which one spends time in a forest or natural atmosphere, focusing on sensory engagement to connect with nature has a variety of positive physiological effects, such as blood pressure reduction, improvement of autonomic and immune functions, as well as psychological effects of alleviating depression and improving mental health. Studies have shown that just one day of forest bathing can effectively reduce stress hormones.
Yellow
Our impressions of colours are often influenced by culture and religion. For example, in the western culture, yellow can have negative connotations such as betrayal, jealousy, or cowardice. The phrase "yellow belly" can be used as an insult to describe somebody who is easily scared, lacking in courage or bravery. These negative associations with the colour yellow can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe, when Christianity was the dominant religion. In religious art, Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was often depicted wearing yellow, thus associating the colour with treachery and betrayal.
In the natural world, yellow is also often used as a warning colour. Poisonous animals and plants often have yellow markings, which serve as a warning to other animals not to eat them. For example, the yellow and black stripes of hornets and wasps and the yellow-banded poison dart frog's graphic colours are warnings of their poisonous potential. Humans have also adopted this use of yellow as a warning colour. For example, yellow and black hazard tape is used to warn people of potential dangers, and yellow flags were also historically used in Europe as signals warning about quarantine, plague, or other dangers.
Purple
Tyrian purple is a colour extracted from the murex snail, also known as Purpura. The murex snail lives in the Mediterranean Sea, and each snail only produces a small amount of mucus. It takes over 2,000 snails and then extract the mucus from each snail to produce one gram of dye. This makes the colour extremely expensive and time-consuming to produce.
Tyrian purple has been around since around 1500 BC and is considered the oldest known purple dye. Since humans began to "dress up", purple has been a symbol of high status. Only a very small number of people, such as clergy and royalty, could afford it. In Ancient Rome, while there wasn't a formal law explicitly outlawing the use of purple for anyone else, it became a well-understood social and societal norm not to wear it. Wearing significant amounts of pure Tyrian purple could be interpreted as a challenge to the emperor's authority or a sign of disrespect. Other, less expensive shades of purple derived from different sources became available and were used by senators and other high-ranking individuals. These shades weren't as prestigious or symbolic as the emperor's true Tyrian purple.
Black & White
Subtractive colour mixing works like a subtractive equation. We begin with white light, containing all colours, and then subtract colours using pigments or dyes. These materials, like paints and dyes, absorb certain wavelengths of light while reflecting others. For instance, a red apple absorbs all colours except red, which it reflects back to our eyes. By mixing these subtractive primaries - cyan, magenta, and yellow - we can create a wide range of colours. Combining all three primaries typically results in black, as most pigments absorb all remaining light. This method finds its application in painting, printing, and traditional colour photography.
In contrast, additive colour mixing works by adding light sources. Imagine combining different coloured flashlights; the overlapping areas create new colours. In this method, red, green, and blue (RGB) are the primary colours. Overlapping these primaries creates secondary colours, like red and green combining to form yellow. Further combinations can create a vast spectrum of colours. Unlike subtractive mixing, adding more colours results in brighter hues, with all three primaries combined creating white light. This method plays a crucial role in technologies like televisions, computer screens, and stage lighting.
While in many cultures, black continues to symbolize mourning. Black also has associations with authority, elegance, and formality, as seen in formal attire and positions of power. Yet, it also evokes mystery and sometimes carries negative connotations of darkness and evil. Historically, black held significance as a symbol of both life and death. In Ancient Egypt, it represented fertile soil, and in Greek mythology, it was the colour associated with the goddess Nyx who was the goddess of night. However, many of Nyx’s children were personifications of light or positive concepts. For example, Hemera was the goddess of day, and Aether was the god of light. Their existence as Nyx's children underscores her connection to darkness and the colour black to rebirth.
Throughout history, white has been a symbol of purity, and high class. When people think of "white", they often think of such things as wedding dresses, nurses, white rice, and snow; clean, pure, sacred, and peaceful impressions.
Colour by Association
The origins of the names we give to specific shades of colours are diverse. The most common sources are natural objects such as the sky, land, plants, and animals, as well as raw materials such as dyes and pigments. But, the names of artists and historical figures have also attached themselves to shades at times (Monet Blue and Mountbatten Pink), and more recently, the names of companies and brands (Hermes Orange and Ferrari Red). Most people will be able to picture a colour when they hear these names.
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