Research:
Contexts and colour triads can play a large role shape the ways in which we perceive colour meaning. During the Middle Ages, for example, green could mean ‘hope’ in the context of the triad white (representing faith), green (hope) and red (charity) – whereas the same green could also mean ‘justice’ in the context of a different triad of blue (temperance), green (justice) and diamond (fortitude); there is not a singular ‘language of colour’, but rather a multitude of codes, conventional associations and uses.
There are three key approaches to defining the meaning of colour in western history: colour symbolism, colour naturalism, and colour as effect and affect. Below I will be explaining the meanings and history behind each.
Colour Symbolism:
Again, in the Middle Ages, colour played a significant role in identifying people, whether biblical figures, saints, monks, knights or outcasts, as well as signifying theological ideas and ideals like ‘humility’, ‘penitence’, ‘loyalty’ or ‘courtesy’. This is believed to be the earliest known instance of colours gaining widespread, cultural symbolism. In modern times, some semiotics behind colour symbolism have changed, but the core ideas remain largely present (e.g. white for ‘purity’, red for ‘evil’, purple for ‘poison’ etc).
Colour Naturalism:
From the renaissance onwards, the semiotic landscape became mostly devoid of colour – the conversations around colour no longer questioned colour meaning, but rather the scientific and naturalistic applications of colour. Black/white were ruled to be scientifically excluded as colours; bar-shaped colour charts became the colour wheels we know and use today as discoveries surrounding the colour spectrum were being made. During this time, as there was a general abandonment of colour semiotics, colour meaning became cosigned with the ideas of naturalism in the arts: green was used to represent grass, blue to represent the sea etc. These ideas also continue into this day.
Colour as effect and affect:
In the romantic era, the work of Goethe, a German writer, poet, playwright and scientist, linked colour to the affect, to subjective, individual emotions, and personality traits, and to direct effects on behaviour. Goethe’s ideas were first adopted by painters and artists, and then psychologists who in turn influenced 20th century artists and designers, and later yet the field of marketing, with its interest in appealing to the emotions and drives of consumers.
A strong example of effect and affect in colour is the colour red: studies show that the colour evokes intense emotions in humans, and it is for this reason that we use it to symbolise emotions like love or hatred. It is also why it is commonly used in modern signage, as it is the colour that most grabs our visceral attention. To contrast, colours like blue or purple tend to have very soothing effects on patients, helping to relax.
Goethe makes an important distinction though: the effects of colour and the symbolic nature of colour are not one and the same. He proposes that some meanings can be understood without context because they coincide with nature (effect and affect); whereas others require prior explanation to understand (symbolism).
Ideation:
Before reading on The Language of Colour, I was already planning on using distinct colour pallets to give my game a strong visual identity as well as invoke certain emotions within the player: now that I have learnt significantly more about the subject matter I would like to fully pursue this and use colour in certain ways to symbolise certain themes and to evoke certain emotions to the player – as my subject matter involves uncomfortable social interaction, perhaps I could use colour alone to instil discomfort or other difficult emotions.
My next line of study surrounding colour should be to research distinct meanings behind colours themselves, and use them to apply to my project.
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