Module 3 Color Theory and Emotional Effects post

Color is the light we see reflected from an object. For example, when an object absorbs red light, it reflects the opposite color, green, so our eyes register that object as being green. Though this process may seem very technical, color and light play a large role in affecting human emotion. Many people experience seasonal depression due to the lack of sunlight and vibrant color in the outside world during the winter months. A lack of color in an environment is reminiscent of a lack of life. People often ask what a person’s favorite color is as an ice breaker. It’s interesting that something as simple as the color that a person finds aesthetically pleasing can reveal so much about their personality.

It is compelling to me that people, for the most part, react to color in the same way and connect the same emotions to the same colors. In a psychological and anthropological aspect, one could argue two points as to why this is. This application of certain moods as identifiers to specific colors could be taught from a young age. For example, if a child lives their whole life in an environment where they often hear adults referring to blue as a color that conveys sadness, that child will have subconsciously been taught to associate the color blue with sadness. There is also the argument that humans make these associations on their own without having been taught or shown these connections. This kind of “nature vs nurture” argument is interesting to me because of the many ways that one could argue both sides. This is why I find the manipulation of color combinations in a piece of art in order to express a mood interesting.

I found Van Gogh’s statement on color from the CNN video interesting. He stated that he used contrasting colors in an inharmonious way to evoke a sense of depression and madness that one can fall into when spending too much time in a cafe. His use of color did not attempt to replicate the actual multiple shades and hues of the real world. Rather, he used a simplified color pallette to communicate a specific emotion. I find the concept of using color combinations and composition to create a specific mood interesting, accompanied by the idea that through the study of color an artist can manipulate an image to express a particular mood.