The Color Black
Black hasn't always been known as a color you know? Before Newton's discovery of the color spectrum, black and white were not considered as colors. Throughout history, black has been known to be used only as the color for underground spaces such as the prehistoric caves. In Egypt, black was associated with death while in Europe during the Middle Ages, it symbolized demons, evil, the devil, or ill omens. Until the Romanesque period, black began to be used as a color not associated with evil. It began to be used as the color for robes in the monastic order. Today, black is used all over especially in fashion. It is now considered one of the six major hues even though it may not be as liked as other bright colors.
Why is it that black was considered evil or death? Why didn't yellow become associated with evil? Do we attach symbols or meanings to colors? Is it cultural or something else?
The first paragraph is a summary of the article The Color That Wasn't a Color by Ann Landi.
6 comments:
Maybe because black is so dark and mysterious that people associate it with death. Is it not tradition in the western culture to wear black clothing on funerals? In parts of India the tradition is to wear white. For some yellow may only be known as the color of the sun but with the interpretations of dreams yellow is linked to illness.
Colors can have a lot of influence on people's emotions, maybe it is due to the culture and is taught. But some do have an idea already set to a certain color or if a color reminds them of something they give a meaning to it. Or maybe the answer lies deeper in the human psyche..
Yes, I believe that culture influences the meaning of color to people especially at an early age. In elementary school, they indtroduce the bright colors first while omitting black. To some, black is a beautiful color while others reject it because they have been taught it is associated with death. Interesting stuff, reminds me of the nature vs nuture assignment.
I believe that color diodes have a lot of influence in the way we perceive things associated with feelings many times, and we often associate black with negative things unfortunately
Mary Janini art 3
I could not imagine as black and white not being a color. To me if its visible its a color. I believe black is associated with death because black is a dark and gloomy color, and has been tradition to wear black at a funeral.
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