E41:The place of color in everyday life.

What constitutes perception of color is not fully understood, though the quality of light coming from a colored object can be analyzed into electromagnetic radiations of various wavelengths. White light consists of a spectrum band of shades merging from red to blue. Objects will absorb certain parts of the band and reflect others, giving a perception of color to the eye. This perception is standard to the human race, though about two per cent of males and rather less females suffer from color blindness. Red and amber become indistinguishable, a dangerous situation at traffic lights!

Whether realized or not, color exerts a great effect on humanity from the psychological as well as from the aesthetic point of view. For example, environmental coloring profoundly influences our working lives. It is not only for reasons of economy that until recent years, at least in Britain, governmental and armed services offices were uniformly painted in yellow ochre. So were hospitals, state schools, prisons and most other official institutions. The object was to create an undistracting environment. Latterly it has been realized that pastel shades are the most helpful. Sharp colors tend to lead to unrest and aggression. Drab colors cause depression and negative attitudes. Aesthetic considerations are more a matter of fashion. People are easily influenced by propaganda and fashion. A short time ago, many people were led to prefer sharp, primary colors in wall paint and soft furnishings, with no regard to match and mismatch. This was short-lived. The idea was soon superseded by light pastel shades which provide both a restful atmosphere and the ideal background for offsetting furniture, pictures and floor coverings.

In those days, the 60s, there was also a craze for psychedelic painting. Cars, generally bangers , were patterned with any kind of design. The thinking behind this was to reflect the kaleidoscopic colors experienced in the drug-induced states typical of that appalling decade. Fast colour switches were also a feature of the pop scene , and remain so to this day. Fashionable dress for children still reflects this objectionable colour freedom, which is known to be exciting to the younger generation, and to some degree enhances their urge to freedom. Perhaps my rather scathing comments are typical of my generation!
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Source: www.englishdaily626.com