COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY (CONT) .
Association Sporting teamcolours have a very conscious influence on colour. Proposed colour schemes have been rejected because they included a colour that resembled a rival football team’s colours. Colour is seen to symbolise loyalty and teamspirit. Language There has long been a debate on the significance of language and its relation to seeing colour. Some believe that basic colour categories are universal and rooted and if we do not posses a word for a colour it alters our perception of it. Others believe that there are no set categories of colour and definitions of colour can follow different patterns. WilliamGladstone former British PrimeMinister, assumed the Ancient Greeks were colour blind, instead of considering that colour organisation may have simply fallen into different categories than the seven colours Newton highlighted; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. In the English language blue is used for many areas that are subject to change depending on weather conditions,such as the sea or the sky. TheGreeks used categories of luminance; dark, shining and radiant to describe colour. Using blue for the sea and sky (which are variable) is an abstract concept andwhile theGreeks could see colours, they had no reason for the word blue. Colour Names There are very fewdefinitive names of colours, instead descriptive terms are
frequently used to determine a colour. It is difficult to own a paint colour, but a name can be trademarked. A name is created to tell the story of a colour and evoke positivememories or associations. In one instance a name of a paint colour had the opposite effect, Dewberry Frost, a pale lilac paint did not sell well at all because it conjured images of frost andwas thought to be cold. The colour was renamed and it soldmuch better. While it is difficult to own a colour, as always there have been exceptions. Yves Klein blue, Vanguard Black and Amish Kapoor Pink are all patened colour recipes. Society Historically, colours came to take on meanings laws were created to restrict the use of specific colours in fashion and furnishings. Only royalty could use certain colours, while peasants were limited to colours that reflected their social status. Inmany cases dyes were so expensive only the very rich could afford themanyway. Ancient Greeks, Romans andChinese restricted use and even imposed strict punishment if a citizenwore a colour outside of their status. Today, we still hold associations regarding certain colours and royalty. Trends Fashion and trends influence our behaviour towards colour, they can dictate our colour preferences both consciously and not so consciously. As trends and popularity of colours progress and change over time, so will our attitudes towards colours and colour combinations. Preferences can be cyclical and constantly evolve. Colour trends in fashion turn aroundmuch faster than
in home or interior trends which tend to embrace trends gradually. In interiors greys are currently a popular colour choicewhereas previouslymagnolia has been the most popular neutral colour. Individuality Each individual will respond to colour in their own unique way. Age, personality and character can influence our perception of colour, as can the biological process that enables us to see. We all process data differently fromone another. The brain is highly complex andwe also rely onmemory and past experience to identify objects. Colour can evokememories and in turn these can cause us to like or dislike a certain colour and dictate our responses towards it. Some studies suggest people with depressive tendencies are better suited to colours from the warmend of spectrum, whereas people with anxious tendencies, such as high blood pressure, benefit fromcooler tones.
Physiological When we see colour we rely on the optical system to sendmessages to the brain, however the eye also has a non visual pathway. Light sensitive photoreceptor cells are linked to our inner brain and pituitary gland that regulates hormones and organ systems. Every colour has its own wavelength to distinguish it from another, and the energetic frequencies can cause physiological responses when we are exposed to colour. Exposure to the colour red can speed up the heart rate and circulation, increase the pulse and breathing rates, and raise blood pressure, the opposite occurs when we are exposed to blue for a period of time. These sensations can be felt by those who cannot necessarily see colour and are independent of any colour preference or cultural experience with colour. Colour Symbolism Colour has long been associatedwith symbolism, linking colours to nature and the environment. Yellow for the sun, green for nature, red for blood and fire, blue for the sky and sea, and these associations formpart of a sub conscious process when we think about colour. Culture Every culture uses colour tomark occasions and this can differ from country to country.
“If one says “red”- the name of color - and there arefifty people listening, it can be expected that therewill befifty reds in theirminds. And one can be sure that all these reds will bevery different.” Josef Albers (1963)
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