The affects of colours
I’m very aware of colours when I’m taking photographs and also see a lot of graffiti. The graffiti is all on man made structures. The graffiti artists always choose smooth surfaces and usually quite ugly ones. Maybe they think they are improving them? Maybe, Gingerbums actually thinks he’s an artist? Some of the graffiti artists seem to have some misdirected skill and artistic talent. It seems a shame it can’t be harnessed, so they can do something productive that would be appreciated. It all costs money though and we can’t afford it in the UK, we just shelled out 12 billions for the Olympics.
In the picture the more natural bridge seems free of graffiti and the modern looking road bridge has been targeted. Maybe the answer is to make structures more aesthetic and give kids a better education in art and more opportunities to express themselves artistically, without using a spray can.
Colours are important in life, nature has greens, browns and blues in summer that turn to yellows, greys, whites and browns in autumn and winter. We tend to copy nature, choosing different colours for our clothes depending on the season. We even choose different colours for emotional reasons. Dark colours denote seriousness and so makes them suitable for business and the ultimate dark colour, black suitable for funerals. Bright yellows and reds are holiday colours that we choose when we’re happy and cheerful. Light colours are used express the lighter moods. It seems even our choice of colour can affect our moods. When we are redecorating it is better to choose lighter colour for rooms that we are going to spend a lot of time in, like the kitchen.
In some rooms a mixture of colours can promote a feeling of seriousness with a light airy feel. This combination is often suitable for offices. The older office for the senior lawyer or politician might have dark wooden panelling. The same might apply in a court of law, where a serious image has to be used to send out a message that the business of that place is not only serious, but important.
You can choose to send out messages with colours too. Darker colours denote seriousness and importance, lighter colours denote enjoyment and frivolity. You might need to choose neutral colours like beige or grey and take a middle path between those two extremes. You might be choosing colours for your decoration in the home, for your office or even for your clothes. The colours you choose will have an affect on other people and their perception of you.
The outside of buildings usually have fairly neutral colours that blend in with the surroundings. There are exceptions to that rule of course. Sometimes buildings are made to stand out by designers with a inflated idea of their own importance. They are the ones that are responsible for the iconic buildings like the Sydney Opera House and also the the horrible ones that no one likes. I can think of a few horrible ones, in shocking pink or covered in mirrors.
Colour combinations can be important. Black can denote sophistication, but usually only when it’s combined with another colour. Black and gold is often used to define luxurious sophistication. Red can be seen as sexy, as fiery, as hot. It is the colour of fire and is often used as a warning colour. It is used for everything from danger signs to sexy red underwear. Blue is seen as a cool colour and green as a natural calming colour. Yellow is seen as vibrant and pink is seen as feminine. White is seen as pure and unspoilt.
What is your favourite colour? It says a lot about you, more than you might think…
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