Colour in context

With: Harald Arnkil (Visual artist, Colour researcher & Author of Colours in the Visual World) & Valtteri Arstila (Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku)

To celebrate International Colour Day, the Colour Literacy Project is kicking off its next Forum series: Colour in Context. In this series, we will explore how the spatial, philosophical, cultural and historical contexts all affect the ways we perceive colours. Part 1 focuses on how the spatial juxtaposition and illumination impact colour perception, and the challenges we face when attempting to reconcile objective reality and subjective perception.

Friday March 22, 11:00am-12:15pm ET

Dr. Valtteri Arstila

THE IDENTITY AND AMBIGUITY OF COLOUR FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Colours are often thought to be inherent properties of objects, for example, defined by how surfaces reflect wavelengths of light. Concurringly, colour vision is likened to colorimetry, which suggests that we can perceive colours accurately under optimal conditions. However, this position, known as colour objectivism, faces significant challenges due to the substantial variations in individuals’ colour perceptions and differing observation conditions. Consequently, it has been argued that finding a non-arbitrary and sensible method to determine the true colour of any given object is difficult, if not impossible. This debate underscores the complex interplay between objective reality and subjective perception, prompting a reevaluation of our understanding of colour. It raises the question of whether the colours we perceive directly reflect external reality or whether our minds construct them.

Valtteri Arstila is a Doctor of Philosophy, and Full Professor in theoretical philosophy at the University of Turku. His research focus is on the empirically informed philosophy of mind. In particular, He has been interested in (i) subjective time, (ii) the relationship between experiences and cognition, and (iii) sensory qualities (especially colors and sounds)

Harald Arnkil

COLOURS ARE CONTEXTUAL

Colour seems to have many identities. Colours can be given precise designations in colorimetry and determinate colours are strongly identified with substances such as pigments and dyes and with flowers, minerals and other natural and man-made objects. People also have finely nuanced preferences for precise hues, tints and shades of colour. Yet, colours as they are perceived, seem highly dependent on context. They are susceptible to change with both spatial juxtaposition and illumination. Josef Albers said in the Introduction of his book Interaction of Color (1963) “In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is -- as it physically is.” What exactly did he mean by this? Albers seems to have suggested that colour has two separate existences, the perceived and the “physical”. In this talk, I will discuss the identity and variability of colour through visual examples of both 2D and 3D situations, not forgetting the effect illumination has on our perception of colours.

Harald Arnkil is a Finnish artist, writer, colour researcher, and founder and former president of the Finnish Colour Association. He graduated from Finnish Academy of Fine Art with a degree in painting, and taught art and colour at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Harald has published many papers on colour in art, design and architecture, and is the author of Colours in the Visual World, a textbook for artists, designers and architects. He was a member of the Nordic SYN-TES research project which focused on colour and light in spatial contexts and is a member of the Colour Literacy Project team. Harald’s paintings have been exhibited widely, and his art is in many private and public collections.