Reading 2

Meloy, Ellen, "The Anthropology of Turquoise", Vintage Books 2003: Chapter 1 "The Deeds and Sufferings of light" pp. 3-17

In the first chapter of “The Anthropology of Turquoise” author Ellen Meloy paints for the reader an incredible picture of the physical landscape that surrounds her. Meloy not only conveys a beautiful image of the Colorado Plateau, but also describes the colors found in this landscape with incredible detail. She sees these amazing colors in the desert, feels them, assigns personalities to them, and finds a deep connection to them.

She says that “Each of us possesses five fundamental, enthralling maps to the natural world: sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell.” This is an important thing to remember, as colors can communicate more to the viewer than simply eye appeal, colors can have an impact on many different levels.

Although she does an impressive job of describing colors found only in a certain environment, in the passage she also almost doubts her own ability to do so, saying that “Colors challenge language to encompass them…it cannot, there are more sensations than words for them.” Even though she says this, I still feel that I have never read such a great and detailed account of the intricacies in colors found in their most raw form. From the very first sentences, I found that these colors and the way she speaks about them instantly brought me to that environment, I felt as though I knew exactly what she was describing, and even shared the same feelings toward those things.

 I think that I feel such a connection to these things because nature, as for Meloy, is such a major part of my life. Reading this passage about color and the different effects it can have on someone has made me think more deeply about what it is that I want the colors I use in my artwork to convey to the viewer. She recalls “…the Grand Canyon bathed in the Copper light of a summer sunset…” and how “…late winters sharpness still wraps the ridge in vibrant, clear air…” Both of these images resonate with me in a major way, and these are the kinds of descriptions that I hope to give to the colors that I want to use for my own work.