and, actually, whilst working on 2016 something very interesting happened… I had just embarked on my research into the blue and pink combination, to place it into a collectible context, and see if it fell into a particular period of history, when I got a call from the Tate, asking if I would write an overview of Agnes Martin as they were holding a retrospective exhibition. I knew of her, but wasn’t overly familiar with her work. When I began looking up books that referenced her, finding interviews she’d given, and heard an interpretation of her use of colour from her longstanding agent and close friend – lo and behold – it turns out that one of her favourite combinations to use was blue and pink. To me, this was a very strong indication from the art world that I was on the right path as, after its tenure at the Tate, the collection was due to tour across several countries, meaning the influence would have international reach. This colour combination also speaks of gender neutrality. For
a long time now, we have seen blue as masculine and pink as feminine; however, the fashion scene is telling a different story, and we have started to see the blue/pink combination coming down the runways, which we know will then trickle down into other industries as well. We are also increasingly witnessing typically macho institutions such as major sports teams donning pink in solidarity with women’s issues, be that equality or health concerns. Nowadays, the use of colour poses less of a threat. Whilst fashion is a good indicator, it’s not the only mechanism for forecasting, and it’s certainly not relied upon as heavily as it was some years back. In my view, graphic designers are often the unsung heroes of the art world, responsible for beautiful spreads in magazines and images online, advertisements and illustrations. They are typically very thoughtful, insightful individuals, who spot
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