Kane Kwei, Coffin in the Shape of a Cocoa Pod Painted with a brilliant middle-orange hue, the color of a half-ripened cocoa pod
The brightness of the color is exaggerated
In Ghana funerals are celebratory, loud affairs where bright color adds to the festive mood
Ghanaians believe that having lots of happy people at a funeral gives solace to the family of the deceased
Kwei’s career started when his dying uncle asked him to build him a boat-shaped coffin
This coffin was commissioned by a cocoa farmer who wanted to tell everybody about his lifelong passion
Mark Tansey, Picasso and Braque
A work that uses only one hue is called monochromatic
An artist can give variety to such a work by using a range of values
In Picasso and Braque, Tansey depicts two figures, whom he refers to as “Orville and Wilbur” (Wright)
He is referring to Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque’s habit of referring to each other as Orville and Wilbur
The monochromatic palette is reminiscent of the black-and-white photos of the Wright Brothers’ experiments with flight
Color in its purest state is its highest level of saturation
A red at the height of saturation is closest to its pure state in the spectrum
A pastel tone and a dark tone would each have a low saturation of color, but a grayed middle value of red would also have a low saturation of color
Saturation is not related to value
Barnett Newman, Vir Heroicus Sublimis
Relies on value and saturation of color for its visual impact
Alternating colors of the narrow vertical lines break up a broad red plane
Newman calls these vertical lines “zips”
Subtle variations in the saturation of the red tones create the sensation that parts of the painting are separately lit
Newman wants viewers to stand close to the canvas, engulfed by color
André Derain, The Turning Road, L’Estaque
Strong bright color makes the entire scene glow with energy and vitality
Derain was a member of the Fauves
Fauves is French for “wild beasts”
They used colors in their purest and strongest states as an act of defiance against the Academy, a state-sponsored school of art that set rigid rules for acceptable standards for art
Frederic Edwin Church, Twilight in the Wilderness
Used complementary colors for dramatic effect
The intense red-orange clouds complement swathes of the blue-green evening sky
The powerful color of the sky and its reflection in the water below reveal Church’s awe and respect for the American landscape
Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party
Color palette creates a harmonious effect
Yellows, greens, and blues predominate
These colors have relatively similar wavelengths and do not intensify each other when placed in close proximity
Cassatt’s color seems relaxed, reinforcing her theme
Cassatt was one of the few female (and only American) members of the Impressionists
The Impressionists were a group of artists who shared an interest in the effects of light and color
Howard Hodgkin, Interior with Figures
Pinkish verticals on each side of the scene make a frame of analogous colors for the saturated reds in the space between
Deep crimsons, fleshy pinks, and countless dabs of scarlet fill this scene with heat
Red is dominant here and heightens our response to an enigmatically erotic encounter
Mosque lamp from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
The blue, green, and white reflect the kind of color influence valued in the meditative atmosphere of a holy place
The choice of colors is cool and peaceful
The color green has positive associations in Islamic art and supports the peacefulness of prayer
Georges Seurat, The Circus
Uses small dots of color
Pointillism-devised by Seurat-is the use of such small dots of color to produce optical color mixtures
Because these dots are so close together, the colors we see are different from the actual colors of the dots
Optical mixing makes the colors more intense because they have retained their individual saturation
The jewel-like diffusion of light and vibration of color make the painting visually exciting
CMYK Printing
The color wheel for printing is referred to as CMYK
C cyan, M magenta, Y yellow, K black
An image is scanned and separated into the four colors
The image is re-created when the separated colors are printed in sequence, overlapping each other
The four colored inks are printed on paper as dots in a regular pattern (“screen”)
The smaller the dot, the less of each color is printed
Because the pictures are divided into tiny dots of color, optical color mixing also plays a role in the control and perception of CMYK color
Charles Csuri, Wondrous Spring
The digital artist Charles Csuri has been creating imagery on computers since 1963
In Wondrous Spring, the RGB primaries create a dazzling illuminated array of colors, reminiscent of a modern-day stained-glass window
Csuri has explored and helped develop the digital realm as a viable art medium
Digital works have a glow and rich color that bring new dimensions of color to art and design
Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café
Van Gogh was greatly affected by color, and studied its psychological effects
The colors in the painting The Night Café were carefully chosen to elicit emotional responses from viewers
“I have tried to express with red and green the terrible passions of human nature.” (Van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo)
The color intensifies the psychological implications of the scene in a seedy nightspot in Arles, France
Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ
Gauguin used yellow for its uplifting associations
Although Gauguin is known to have been inspired by a woodcarving in a local chapel, his choice of color is primarily symbolic
Yellows and browns correspond to the colors of the surrounding autumnal countryside, harvested fields, and turning leaves
By using bright color, Gauguin creates a simple and direct emotional connection with the viewer
While depicting death, Gauguin chose colors that express the optimism of rebirth