The Discrimination of Color

Throughout history artists, from the ancient Egyptians to Rembrandt, struggled to find pigment sources for their paintings. The earliest known “paints” were shades of blacks from ashes, reds from the soil and greens from plants. Some paints were discovered accidentally, like the color purple, a byproduct of a malaria cure in 1856. Some paints were easily made and thus inexpensive—yellows and oranges, while others are derived from rare minerals and thus very expensive—blues.

Historically, culture dictated and restricted the use of color. Religion played a major role in the suppression of color in textiles and paints. Protestants insisted on purity in wearing black and white. And color discrimination wasn’t limited to religion. Think of the Ford Motor Company…only one vehicle color option, black. Also, social status enforced boundaries through color: peasants wore browns while the wealthy wore scarlet and purple.

Color discrimination was also hindered by spoken languages. When a language does not have a word for a color, the color does not exist. Think about it. Ancient texts use the descriptive words of black, white, red, yellow and green; yet there is no reference to a blue sky, because there was no word for the color of blue. Blue is relatively the newest color, by language standards, and also for artists. Blue had an arduous path into acceptance as a mainstream color because it was first associated with barbarism. Thanks to twelfth century French painters who used the color ultramarine in painting the Virgin Mary in monasteries, the color blue has become the symbol of respectability and trustworthiness.

As an artist it is important to understand what color means across the world. For example, in the USA the color white is seen as clean, professional (think doctors) and has a religious quality. However, in China white represents death and in Japan it symbolizes purity. Understanding that color has its own language inspired THE LANGUAGE OF COLOR exhibit now available to the public at the Old Post Office Museum in Winnsboro, Louisiana.

Summer Exhibit: The Language of Color

Old Post Office Museum. 513 Prairie Street. Winnsboro. Louisiana.

9PM-5PM  *  Monday-Friday

~ Exhibit through July 31, 2022 ~

PHOTO: Patrons at the artist reception for The Language of Color Summer 2022 Exhibit at the Old Post Office Museum, Winnsboro Louisiana

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