Photography by Alice Noel
September 30th 2022
Color never appears alone; it only acquires meaning, only fully ‘works’ from a social, artistic and symbolic point of view, insofar as it is associated or contrasted with one or more other colors.
It is a description of an object based on how it emits or reflects light.
Due to the retina’s sensitivity to various light wavelengths, your eyes can distinguish between distinct hues.
This book introduces the many ways in which the colour black has received good reception, among the general public and academic community.
The colour black has a significant role in our everyday lives, the way it influences us can be both negative and positive.
Any attribute of an object that can be defined by hue, intensity, and dispersion is known as color, also written as color. Color has a precise relationship to electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye and has a specified wavelength range. The visible spectrum, or light, is the section of the electromagnetic spectrum that includes radiation of these wavelengths.
Photo by Alice Noel
The word black comes from
Old English blæc (“black, dark”, also, “ink”), Proto-Germanic *blakkaz (“burned”), Proto-Indo-European *bhleg- (“to burn, gleam, shine, flash”), Base *bhel- (“to shine”), related to Old Saxon blak (“ink”), Old High German blach (“black”), Old Norse blakkr (“dark”), Dutch blaken (“to burn”), Swedish bläck (“ink”).
The first reference to the color black in recorded history is found in Genesis, the first book of the Bible “God commanded light to exist, and light eventually appeared. God distinguished the light from the darkness after determining that it was good. The light came after the gloom.” Black came first in all other hues in the initial creation tale. In the fifth and sixth centuries BC, one of the earliest hues to be described as a color was black.
Despite the fact that it has been claimed that one of the first colors employed by painters in the Neolithic was black. A cave’s artwork. Bulls and other animals are shown in drawings made by Paleolithic artists between 17,000 and 18,000 years ago in France’s Lascaux Cave.
Black derives from the Old English word for dark. The absence of all visible light or its complete absorption gives rise to the color black. Like white and gray, it is an achromatic hue with no tint.
“Without black, no color has any depth. But if you mix black with everything, suddenly there’s shadow - no, not just shadow, but fullness. You’ve got to be willing to mix black into your palette if you want to create something that’s real.” - Amy Grant
black
RGB 12, 4, 4
CMYK 0, 67, 67, 95
In addition to gray, there are many more colors of black.
Asphalt, the dark, tacky liquid applied on roads and walkways, is the source of the name for a color that is a combination of darker gray and black.
RGB 54, 69, 79
CMYK 32, 13, 0, 69
The term “charcoal color” refers to the dark gray hue that results from burning wood, also known as “common charcoal,” which is used to start fires for warmth, cooking, and other purposes.
RGB 12, 9, 10
CMYK 0, 25, 17, 95
Night seems to be a color that is nearly dark than black itself and is derived from the nighttime gloom.
RGB 61, 12, 2 CMYK 0, 80, 97, 76
The name “black bean” refers to a color that is a blend of dark brown and black and is derived from black beans, often referred to as black turtle beans.
RGB 85, 93, 80 CMYK 9, 0, 14, 64
The ebony tree, a dark-brown hardwood, gives the hue its name.
RGB 21, 25, 34 CMYK 38, 26, 0, 87
A relaxing black color with a distinct deep blue undertone, Cool Black. According to its CMYK characteristics, this color contains a significant amount more cyan than magenta. Additionally, there is a lot more cyan than red or green.
Everything is impacted by color, including how we view brands and whether we appreciate or detest something based solely on appearance. Color has a captivating impact. Black can mean a variety of things depending on the culture.
Black has long been associated with death and grief in both Europe and North America, where funerals frequently incorporate this color. But they also employ black for formal occasions and elite society.
worldtheBlack is a more uplifting color in Asian nations. In China, black is connected to water, while in Japan, it conjures up images of mystery, femininity, and death. However, in India, people perceive dark as more wicked than nice. In Indonesia, the color black is linked to the left hand, demons, death, and misfortune.
However, the Middle East and Africa equate the color black with evil, death, and grief. It connotes mystery, some Africans like to associate black with masculinity, and in some African societies, it represents maturity.
Black has cultural, socioeconomic, and emotional connotations that transmit meaning. The color black is used in iconic, symbolic, and indexical signs. The sensation we have as we color within every sign gives these symbols their intended meaning.
Black has a variety of symbolic meanings across cultures, including formality, sophistication, death, evil, magic, fierceness, disease, poor luck, and mystery.
All facets of color psychology, physics, and semantics are at work when emotions are evoked. Black can connote professionalism, neutrality, simplicity, and opulence in addition to power, richness, and elegance. It is strong, brash, and frequently employed to imply mystique. Black can also be a symbol of grief or melancholy in some contexts and cultures.
The most prominent black cultural symbolism in racism serves as a signal of opposition and a descriptor for things that appear to be negative.
In a matter-of-fact manner, everyday language serves to educate African Americans that their race is associated with extortion (blackmail), disgrace (black mark), dismissal (blackball), exile (blacklist), impurety, illicitness, and mortality.
Each color has a social and economic connotation. Due to the fact that it appears more costly than other hues, black came to be linked with money, power, and elegance.
Some people associate the color black with attributes like attractiveness and elegance. The hue is quite elegant. That explains why so many individuals dress in black while going to a formal occasion. High-end brands also use black in their logos for this reason. The color black has traditionally been connected to authority in high society. Priests, judges, and credit cards are just a few examples. Don’t forget about Steve Jobs either.
Black, however, is frequently used to represent anything bad. This gloomy hue has long been associated with evil, death, and other negative things. It strongly arouses emotions of rage, aggression, fear, and melancholy.
:(Most obviously, the association among black and negativity may be observed in the words we use. Just think about the following expressions: Grey Monday. The Black Death. satanic magic Blackball. Blackhole. Black-hearted. Dark mood White sheep.
Blackmail. illegal market. Blackout. The list might continue.
Black is a color that screams “evil guy” more than any other. Black is a hue that is worn (and frequently chosen) by individuals from all spheres of society, yet it is frequently associated with bad guys and criminals. 5 Why do you believe that evil characters from dark films and television shows, like Darth Vader and Dracula, almost usually wear black?
The color black is the ideal illustration of how cultural meanings of color can vary. While white is the color of death in China, many western traditions equate black with death and grief.
There were several reasons why the Impressionists avoided using black at the end of the nineteenth century. First of all, real black actually rarely appeared in nature for the en plein air paintings. Second, they preferred rotational tones to alternate colors in their works.
In reality, 20th century painters were not frightened by this important color in painting. Black Paintings are a group of monochromatic canvases created by Frank Stella, among the most important American abstract and minimalism painters.
He said that neither black nor its hazy concepts needed further explanation because “what you see is what you see” throughout the series. In 1963, Ad Reinhardt, a very well American abstract painter, showed an abstract piece that at first glance appeared to be nothing but a black square.
To further explain the notion that no two black individuals are alike, Reinhardt said the following: “Black comes in two flavors: one is dated, the other is hip. Matte and glossy black, black inside the light and the dark.”
After being divided into a pattern of three times three squares, it became clear that the image had several shades. Each set of squares was colored with a different shade of black.
We have already seen throughout history how the portrayal of the Black was heavily influenced by the fashion and tremendous success of Coco Chanel’s beautiful black dress in 1926.
But it was Pierre-Auguste Renoir who said, “For forty years I have learned that the queen of all hues was black.”Painting by Alice Noel
Anish Kapoor, an Indian-born British artist, enraged other artists in 2016 by securing exclusive usage rights to Vantablack, the deepest black paint. During
2014, Kapoor has been playing with the hue “super black,” and he just announced that some of his earliest Vantablack sculptures would be exhibited at the Venice Biennale.
The black was linked with exclusivity, sophistication, and elegance.
We’ve shown throughout history that how a subject represented the color black changed depending on the time period, outside influence, and even the artist’s own inner emotions and mental states. Others avoided it adamantly because they thought it wasn’t appropriate for the canvas. Some painters have danced with the hue
black across all of their works of art, embracing it like an old friend.
Black is ultimately whatever you make of it and is at its greatest right presently, in the twenty-first century. You can love it or not, but, as Joan Witek once said, you can’t help but be drawn towards its magnetic polarity.
There is no discernible origin to the present black-fashion frenzy among women in America and Europe. It has been a sign of grief since at earliest the time of the ancient Greeks. But a lot of care has also been paid to its appearance.
As according critic John Harvey in his book The Story of Black, the Romans appreciated black for its fashion even though they wore it for mourning most of the time.
twentieth century. According to Harvey, it was at that point when black people “came to center stage.”
It came under close examination after Chanel’s iconic little black dress was introduced in 1926.
However, black’s more recent reign reached a handy turning point around the turn of the
Before then, the “shopgirls” who took care of retail store floors and domestic servants wore black as their uniform color. However, social customs were losing their codified façade. Young society ladies were eschewing the ostentatious, confining gown era and beginning to favor sportswear and hemlines that were already rising higher. Shelley Puhak describes how the affluent embraced the carefree, modern shopgirl style for themselves in The Atlantic. She continues by pointing out that around the turn of the century, socialites who wished to project an image of youth and edge opted for short, black gowns.
When Vogue depicted a sketch of Chanel’s simple, practical black frock on it’s own issue in 1926, describing to it as “The Ford” of a female’s wardrobe, it seemed as though a new era in women’s fashion had dawned. Additionally, it promoted black as chic, smart, and alluring. Black has a seductive aesthetic appeal because of how the eye responds to it.
Due to the fact that many bodies are not slim and lacking either perfect combination or
The wealthy classes of Europe in the 16th century, from the Spanish aristocracy in the south to the Dutch businessmen in the north, were fond of wearing black clothing.
A black dress “seems to make the figure smoother and smaller and also to combine the components,” claims Hollander.
complete coordination, a black dress can help many bodies achieve the mouthwatering resemblance to a stretch limousines that is so sought in the latest fashion climate.
In addition to fashion, film played a significant role in making black stand out. The camera, particularly
the movie camera, was the other major backer of the Little Black Dress, according to excellent essayist and art historian Anne Hollander from 1984. A curious public was ready to delve into a new world
Photo by Alice Noel of entertainment, romanticism, and film stars in monochrome.Photo by Alice Noel
Black has a seductive aesthetic appeal because of how the eye responds to it.
A black dress “seems to make the figure neater and thinner and to combine the components,” claims Hollander.
Despite the fact that most logos as well as other graphic designs employ color, many companies choose to use black as their only branding element. In addition to black, some people also choose red or other colors. This is true considering black is a powerful hue.
Businesses frequently use black to draw in young people and affluent customers. Because it exudes mystery, black is commonly employed. It also represents strength and refinement.
Black looks amazing when combined with any other color. Combinations of black and white in particular achieve thePhoto by Alice Noel 10th, 2022
desired results due to the strong contrast effect. Some businesses want the contrast between light and dark colors in their graphic messaging designs.
When used sparingly, black may offer a design a chic, edgy, and minimalist aspect. A fine balance is required for the right appearance because too much black can rapidly make a pattern appear heavy or dark. Black is widely utilized by artists and designers when searching for a classic color for a sophisticated tone.
Though black is often used to represent darkness, in terms of the design, it typically helps to lend authority and weight to a statement.Black ink fountain on offset press
Black is a color that is linked to a variety of emotions in the world of filmmaking, where each scenario and storyboard contains a full character who is written in that hue. The Lighthouse, a 2019 film directed by Robert Eggers, is a fantastic illustration of the range of feelings viewers might experience when watching black-andwhite films (pp. 48).
Numerous associations with the color black are conveyed in this film, including: evil, power, sensuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, money, mystery, dread, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, and style.
Depending on the viewer’s culture and prior experiences, color is frequently subjective, but even within a culture, color can occasionally have conflicting meanings.
“In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business. “In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business. “In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business. “In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business.“In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business. “In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in a business. “In the black” relates to having money, making a profit, and operating successfully in
The term
market” describes the exchange of illegally obtained products or money.An instrument or device typically found in aircrafts is referred to as a “black A person with a black heart is referred to as such. An expert level in martial arts is called a “black belt.” To expose something is to use the term “blackwash.”box.”Damage to the eye, such as bruising and discoloration, or harm to one’s reputation are also considered “black eyes.”
An outcast from a family or from society is known as a “black sheep.”
Agents of the government are referred to as “men in black.”
The term “black market” describes the exchange of illegally obtained products or money.An instrument or device typically found in aircrafts is referred to as a “black
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Since it lacks hue, like white, black is considered as an achromatic color, unlike the other colors of the spectrum and the preponderance of their mixtures.
A typical color wheel does not include black. It is often regarded as a non-color because it eliminates all other visible spectrum colors.
When there is no light or when all visible and infrared wavelengths have been absorbed, the human eye sees black, which is what is considered to be the default state in physics.
Black was associated with richness and the rich, dark earth that the Nile flooded, thus the ancient Egyptians associated it with good fortune. It was the color of Anubis, the underworld deity who protected the deceased from evil and took the form of a black jackal.
Black is a symbol of authority, power, seriousness, and strength. Black is a respectable, formal, and beautiful color. The color black is authoritative and forceful; but, too much of it can be overpowering. Black is the grief symbol in heraldry.
Photo by Alice Noel Arc de Triomphe Stairs, Paris 2017
The Christian theology holds that before God created light, the universe was essentially dark.
Many religious civilizations, from Mesoamerica to Oceania to India and Japan, believe that the world originated from a prehistoric darkness. The Bible constantly draws comparisons between the light of knowledge and
and the darkness of paganism and
. Black has a strong symbolic importance in Islam, along with green. It is the color of the Black Standard, a banner that the Muhammadan army is said to fly. It is also used by Shi’a Muslims as a sign of the coming of the Mahdi, and it may be seen on the flags of Jihadists and Islamists.
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In Christianity, the devil is frequently referred to as the “prince of darkness.”
The phrase was used in John Milton’s masterwork Paradise Lost, which itself was published in 1667, to refer to Lucifer, who is viewed as the incarnation of evil. Priests and ministers of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, many Protestant faiths, as well as monks of the Benedictine Order, usually don black, the color of humility and penitence.
In most depictions, the Hindu goddess Kali, who stands for time and change, has a coloring that is either black or dark blue. sporting a necklace made of severed hands and heads. She is the black one, as her name suggests. She is said to put out fury and passion in Hindu mythology, and those who worship her are urged not to consume meat or alcohol. The scripture stipulates that, even though Kali does not eat meat, individuals who are unable do so may sacrifice a goat— not a cow—or other type of animal to Kali on the amvsya day—night, not day and then eat it.
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‘The color black and situational context: Factors influencing perception of an individual’s aggressiveness and respectability’ (2013) Studia psychologica, 55(4), pp. 321–333.
Olesen, J., 2022. 134 Shades of Black Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes. [online] Color Meanings. Available at: <https://www.colormeanings.com/shades-of-black-color-names-html-hex-rgb-codes/> [Accessed 8 October 2022].
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Roberts, A., 2022. Monochrome marvels: The best modern black-and-white movies. [online] https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/best-modern-blackand-white-movies/. Available at: <https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/ best-modern-black-and-white-movies/> [Accessed 9 October 2022].
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Vislupus
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- Archaeology
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/03/10-prehistoric-cave-
Lascaux cave, c. –
Page 42 Photography by Alice Noel, July 2022
Page 45 Black ink fountain on offset press, Photography by Alice Noel, October 10th, 2022
Page 46; The Lighthouse. 2019. [DVD] Directed by R. Eggers. United States, Brazil, Canada: A24, Regency Enterprises, RT Features.
Page 46; A24films.com. 2022. The Lighthouse. [online] Available at: <https:// a24films.com/films/the-lighthouse> [Accessed 9 October 2022].
Page 48 Photography by Alice Noel, Castries 2018
Page 49 Painting by Alice Noel
Page 54, Photography by Alice Noel, Paris April 2017
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