David Batchelor, “Hanunoo” Chromophobia. London: Reaktion. 2000: 73-95.
In the chapter “Hanunoo”
from Chromophobia, David Batchelor explains the relationship between color and
language as well as color and color names. By referencing to the accounts on
color made by linguists, philosophers, writers, architects and artists,
Batchelor tries to emphasize the nature of color, keeping in mind to the
chromophile story of the war between line and color in art history (77-78).
“verbal language is incapable
of defining the experience of color…color refuses to conform to schematic and
verbal system…color resistant to nomination, attaching itself absolutely to its
own specificity…color precedes words and antedates civilization (81).”
He also
introduces the language of Hanunoo (Mayayo-Polinesian Language) which has no
words that correspond exactly with the English green, blue, grey or brown (88).
In addition, Vietnamese and Korean make no clear distinction between green and
blue, and Russian has no single word for blue. These languages show that color
names are tied into cultural usage. Even "when Newton refracted white light
through a glass prism and divided a colored spectrum into seven distinct
colors, he made it correspond to the seven distinct notes in the musical scale
of the period" (94). In that sense, the representations of rainbow (colors) including
naming, describing and even painting are inconsistent by the culture prism.
This idea was affirmed by Umberto Eco in his essay, “How Culture Conditions the
Colors We see,” in which he argued that “the name of colors have no precise
chromatic content; they must be viewed by within the general context of many
interacting semiotic system.” (90)
Jin, I thought you gave a really good summary of the reading. Even though in the reading the did not mention color blindness, the reading linked me to how different people wherever they might live have different perceptions of color. That made me think of how maybe color names in different countries vary but even in those groups putting color into context is divided into subcategories because of how everyone sees color a little bit different than the person next to them. Even though some might have the same name for a color it doesn't mean its the same color people see.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read "Hanunoo" this semester, but I remember reading it for Pottery 2 several semesters ago, and it has totally changed my way of looking at color! At first the thought of the Mayayo-Polinesian language only having four words for color seemed so bizarre and hard to understand, but after thinking about it more, our general color spectrum is also very limited. This is obvious because we have to make so many different qualifications when talking about color; for instance, brick red is somewhere between brown and red, but it doesn't get it's own color word. Our common vernacular is so small compared to the full spectrum that we have to define things with different combinations of words and comparisons to existing things (salmon, sea foam green, mustard yellow, blood red, blue grey, olive green... the list goes on). I like how you say that we artists get to be the ones who "resist being confined to the eleven general color names in common usage in contemporary english." It seems like we've got more of a challenge to think outside the box with color.
ReplyDeleteJin,
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your summary, the part where you speak about the "Vietnamese and Korean make no clear distinction between green and blue, and Russian has no single word for blue."quite interesting knowing your cultural background. I am curious if your view on color changed at all moving from Korea to America. I know many color's have cultural connotations here in America that may differ from other countries, such as McDonald's red and yellow. Are there any color's that are not commonly used in America that are culturally connected to Korea?
Color is endless. Color is dimensional. Color is personal. Two people can look at the same color, but see, experience, and describe it in a different way. Even so, I just can’t help thinking that no one can succinctly define color.
ReplyDeleteThere have been volumes written on the topic of color. Books, such as, Color, by Victoria Finlay, give a history behind, facts pertaining to, and an essence of color. Yet, color is personal to each individual.
For instance, I know someone who swears she is not affected by color. I explain about the psychology of color and how we are all affected by it. Her color palette consists of eight basic colors. She doesn’t know what mauve, ecru, peach, camel…are.
The colorblind, what is their world like? They see color, but not in the same way as the general populace. What about the elderly? As their rods and cones age, their perception of color does also. Then, there is the artist, who seems the most attuned to color, outside the Pantone Company, of course. Artists use color extensively to convey an idea, showcase their work, interpret the world, emphasize a feature, or accentuate a theme. An artist sees an infinite amount of tones, values, and hues. They are the masters of color.
Even so, I just can’t help thinking that no one can succinctly define color.