Reading 2

In Ellen Meloy’s first chapter of “The Anthropology of Turquoise” she gives a beautiful narrative of her journey and connections with color. She relates color to a deeply personal level all the way to a removed scientific analysis. Through reading Maloy’s descriptions, one feels the sense of a true understanding and connection of colors to every aspect of life. 

I was drawn to the aspects in her article that consider the cultural and humanistic aspects of color. When she talks about humans trying to define color it reminds me of the shared cultural beliefs that as humans we look for meaning behind everything. While  it is important to think about the metaphors colors bare to cultures, I think that she also is trying to say that the beauty of some things should not be defined. Instead, I think it is more important to really see and observe these colors that dominate our lives. She says, “Our lives, when we pay attention to light, compel us to empathy with color,” (8). We feel color, let it embody us, and relate it to our most personal traits to begin to understand it. 

In ceramics, especially functional pottery, I believe that this sense of personal and empathetic understanding of color is crucial. Functional objects already enter our domestic space on a much personal level than many other forms and becoming intimate in important ways. A plate or a cup is the next most connected thing to us, right after the food that enters our body. A cup literally kisses your lips and the color of it becomes as close as a trusted spouse. Color can either make or break this intimate experience. It is vital that when assessing colors for our objects, such as a cup, that we feel all of the emotional, historical, cultural, and scientific aspects of the color before painting it on such a personal form.