Color’s role in Arts

From ancient times to the present, the word “art” has always been obscure in the minds of the general public. In Believing is Seeing: Creating the Culture of Art, Staniszewski claims that, ‘Fine art does not reach as many people as popular culture does. It remains a leisure-time activity for a relatively circumscribed population, and its status as high-yield investment often takes precedence over its other functions.’ However, art has never died in time. It is because not all artworks are incomprehensible. As long as a work embodies elements that relate to the everyday, its continuity is inevitable. The key element explored in this article is the color of the artwork as my personal opinion is that color is the very first factor that catches the eye of the common people in the artwork.

In the artwork Bull-leaping from Gardner’s Art through the ages, the role of color is still relatively simple. The fresco depicts the action of Minoan people catching and jumping onto a bull’s back. In this painting, there is a contrast between the color of white and brick red. This was a common expression in ancient times to separate male and female.

On the other side of the sea, however, color has taken on a different role. Bust of Nefertiti, which is also from Gardner’s Art through the ages, includes richer and more distinctive colors. This painted limestone depicts Akhenaon’s queen, Nefertiti. The color has an essential credit for the success of this work. With a bronze base as the queen’s healthy skin; red and black are the main colors of the queen’s makeup, showing her beauty and modesty; the jewels on the body and the splendor of the headdress show her rich posture. In a word, this apt use of color allows the queen to avoid dullness and loss of color.

After the change of time, the Lamentation by Scipione Pulzone has reached a whole new level. It depicts the entombment of Chris. Unlike the previous two works, this one adds ambient light. The whole painting appears gray and dark, very directly rendering a sad and solemn atmosphere and expressing a strong emotion of mourning. The painting is not simply a portrait of a person, but the emotion it brings together makes everyone who sees it shiver and resonate with it. And this resonance is what keeps the art from losing its popularity among the people.

The meaning of color is constantly stacked high in the tide of the times. In 1782, the United States Congress adopted the American bald eagle for the national seal. Figure of an Eagle, which was possibly made by a carver of ship figureheads, exudes its majestic aura from the inside out. The eagle opened its huge feathered wings, while the gilded layers reflected the light. It is this gold color that perfectly combines the grandeur and intimidation of the eagle, making it an admirable sculpture. In this work, color serves more of a political purpose. As an iconic object representing Congress, it is most important to spread the core values of the government agency to everyone in a simple and clear way. The shiny gold color gives the public an immediate impression as described above of the eagle when they see it. If the black color were used, it would be less ambitious, although it would have the same deterrent effect.

When we look back at contemporary artwork, we see that color resembles a ballerina on stage, unconsciously shifting positions in its delicate leaps. In Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes’ work The Beach, the use of color is bold and evocative. Bright colors dominate the painting, rendering a joyful and vibrant atmosphere. In addition, the variety of colors seems like a festive and joyful scene of fruitfulness. Combined with the artist’s hometown, there is indeed a kind of carnival bustle on the paper. The purple pleats, shaped like bright and gorgeous skirts fluttering among the vines and gems, also make the work rich and attractive. The best thing about this painting is that it does not present in a concrete way what the author had in mind. The public has 1,000 ways to interpret the expected beauty. The artist has created a wonderful environment for the public with unique shapes and brilliant colors, and the details are left to the imagination of everyone.

In electronic art, there is no shortage of novelty in the use of color. In a visual novel game called Sayonara O Oshiete, color plays a very big role in rendering the atmosphere, even to the extent that it can become a neta element of other games. In the game, the player takes on the role of a psychopath who thinks he is a high school teacher, wandering daily through a chaotic timeline and doing nasty things in his delusions. The entire game is covered with a strong sunset orange color within multiple meanings. First, it hints to the player that the protagonist will always awaken from his coma at the same time period and start his imaginary school life. Secondly, it expresses a sense of loneliness within the protagonist. Common sense says that the school is always crowded during the day, and the protagonist, as he is always alone, assumes an empty environment where all the students have gone home in his imagination. Finally, the eternal sunset also represents endless mental torture. The protagonist’s mental state collapses to the point of no return. At the end of the game, the protagonist finally realizes that he is not the school teacher. But then he escapes into another layer of his shell, namely, he sets himself a new identity as a trainee doctor. Maybe the orange color is representing the protagonist’s eternity, or the passing life. The success of this game cannot leave the choice of colors.

In the past, the use of color has gone beyond basic distinctions, with advanced beautification, atmosphere and propaganda with political intent. Nowadays, with the progress of the times, the use of color is dexterous and groundbreaking. Color is like the arc of the times, escorting the public’s acceptance of art and flashing the progressive development of art from generation to generation. Perhaps in the future, color has a magnificent role for art that goes beyond this.