Color
Color
Color
1
Color Thinkers, artists, and scientists have long debated the nature of color:
what are its origins, and how does it affect us?
The sumac leaves of New England, U.S.A, display an amazing range of color.
Early humans watched their fires blacken the represents luck, wealth, and success.
ceilings of the caves where they lived. They 30 In humans, the color red can send different
5 saw blue and red in the sky and brown and messages. Some people redden, for example,
green on the ground. In time, people began when they are angry or embarrassed, sending
to understand that color not only made the a clear signal to others about how they are
world more beautiful, it was also able to feeling. British anthropologists Russell Hill and
convey emotion and symbolize power. Using 35 Robert Barton of the University of Durham
10 colors they extracted from insects, plants, and found that when opponents in a game are
minerals, primitive humans copied animals, equally matched, the team dressed in red is
painting their bodies to signal aggression more likely to win. Why? According to Barton,
toward an enemy or to attract a mate. “red seems to be the color, across species, that
Over the centuries, the sources of colors such 40 signals dominance”—giving those dressed in
15 as blue, purple, and red were carefully guarded red an advantage in sporting events. In many
and were often worth as much as gold. In animal species (including humans), contact
the 19th century, a young chemistry student with this bold color causes the heart rate
became the first to manufacture a synthetic1 to accelerate. However, one of red’s lighter
dye,2 and suddenly the world became a much 45 shades, pink, can have the opposite effect on
20 more colorful place. By the 20th century, people. Men in prisons are reported to be
as scientists discovered the psychological more passive when the walls are painted a
effects of colors, everyone from advertisers to specific shade of pink.
educators found ways to make use of color to Humans have also used the color red in
influence our feelings and behavior. 50 everything from politics to advertising. Many
food products in the U.S., for example, are
25 Red packaged in red containers. Why? The color
makes the product look as if it is advancing
Red, the color of human blood, has
toward a shopper.
traditionally symbolized intensity, fire,
1
Synthetic products are made from chemicals, not natural materials.
love, and anger. In Eastern cultures, it also 2
A dye is a substance which is mixed into a liquid and used to change
the color of something such as cloth or hair.