CHROMOPHILIA
loving colours
blue_logo The concept is developed by by Joanna Bodzek, MA in Textiles for Fashion, The project is developed by an international team including Valentina Culatti, MA in Multimedia Content Design and Giovanna Paternò di Sessa, Degree and Specialization in History of Art and MA in Journalism. and many other artist and devoted colour lovers contributing along the way.
COLOUR Colour as an indicator of social mood, environment and culture, has significant commercial implications. Different colour palettes can be attributed to different SOCIOCULTURAL areas and fashions STYLES. Colour trends are very perceptibly RECOGNIZABLE, and they fuse indelibly to areas of products and fashions.
Forecasting: is the process of estimation in unknown situations. 1
CHROMOphilia
Is an ART CONCEPT focused on the role that COLOUR plays in ARTs and fashion. The main goal of the project was to make people aware of colour forecasting mechanisms while developing a whole new approach to colour in fashion.
The name CHROMOPHILIA is adapted from David Batchelors book CHROMOPHOBIA. This book is concerned with corruption or rather contamination through colour (chromophobia) and its modern and contemporary manifestations as well as with resistance to it in art.
A CHROMSAPIENS is someone who has a conscious relationship with colours and who is able to use colour in a pro-active way, (i.e. colours that support wellbeing)
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Wardrobe of a CHROMOSAPIENS, instalation, London
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The initial idea of the project Chromo consists of three parts. The first part of the project, called CHROMOSERCH, is a research aimed to collect all the information on the topic. The second, CHROMOSINTHESIS, is the development of particular holistic approach to colour. The third, called CHROMOPHILIA, is a new concept based label and art company.
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Research – CHROMOSEARCH
In order to answer these questions we
exploring different areas (colour in
want to develop a research on colour,
literature, in visual art, in design, etc.)
investigating on three levels of
and different approaches (physical,
understanding:
psychological, economic, social), creating a dialogue with experts.
1. 2. 3.
Individual: colour in relation to man
The starting queries for every aspect is:
Collective:colour in relation to
relation to colour,
society
lack of colour,
Environmental: colour in relation
use of certain colour,
to natur
fear of colour.
The research consists in collecting a
The focus is on man’s REACTION to
complete documentation on the topic
colour.
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As the means for CHROMOSERCH for trends and events we are using combinatnation of BLOG and CHROMO Q. Blog is active shared space where the chromocommunity can post and comment views on colour senses. It consists of collecting a complete documentation on the topic exploring different areas (colour in literature, in visual art, in design, etc.) and different approaches (physical, psychological, economic, social), creating a dialogue with people who are interested in this subject. Opposite page: CHROMOBLOG created and designed by Riccardo Giraldi, responsible editor Vallentina Cullati, blog has attracted interest from, among others, Colour Lovers a giant colour blog from USA and from Swedish NCS (natural colour systems). 6
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We have designed a questionnaire, called CHROMO-Q, as a means to gather information about mechanisms and what has power to and impact to influence public choices in choosing colours in fashion. The questionnaire is related to topics of colour forecasting as well as colour theory view on colour. This has helped us to collect data on questions like: What does determine colour trends? What are the elements that influence the choice? Are people aware of these mechanisms? in relation to areas Emotional – Personal Are they? Physic – Psychological Economic – Social
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Initial visual experiments.
Style: Conformity to a recognized standard; manner which is deemed elegant and appropriate, especially in social demeanor.
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CHROMOSYNTHESIS This body of investigating work will give us the key to develop a new level of understanding, that we would call holistic, with focus on how an informed use of colour can support a growth on the three levels: 1.
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Individual: Physical and spiritual growth 2. Collective: Cultural, economic, social and technological growth 3. Environmental: Environmental growth
Colour scale from CHROMO Q-estionary. Opposite page: Poem What is Pink? by Christina Rossetti
k ? a rose is pin What is pink . k n ri b in's By the founta d re a poppy's What is red? bed. In its barley e the sky is blu What is blue? '. ro th t ouds floa Where the cl e it h e? a swan is w What is whit t. ligh Sailing in the low, el y w? pears are . What is yello el e and m low Rich and rip , en re g ? the grass is en re g is t a . h n W owers betwee With small fl t ouds are viole cl t? le io v is t Wha er twilight. In the summ orange, ge? why, an e! What is oran Just an orang
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important moment of documenting the work...
Goal – CHROMOPHILIA
CHROMOSAPIENS
This holistic approach to colour will be the
are people who wear Colours consciously and in
leading guide of a new concept based brand
so doing they become CREATORS of their
(CHROMOPHILIA) that will be not only a
moods and experiences.
fashion label but also an art project.
The holistic approach will be detailed in an experimental “USER MANUAL”, containing all the tips and tricks for reacting to the traditional trends and colour forecasting and being proactive in the use of colour.
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Design of visual identity and packaging of CHROMOWEAR
Results from the Q_UESTIONNAIRE and from CHROMO BLOG became an inspiration for the packaging of CHROMO WEAR, visual identity and communication design. Design strategy became simply a visual dialogue: to visually present our ideas and then process and incorporate responses from the public into a design process.
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We have observed that garments in strong vivid and bright colours were more popular among men then women and among women with strong self-esteem with good income independent of occupation.
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Thanks to KULTUR FĂ„RG for helping in the production of packaging.
CHROMOWEAR , the RELEASE of the conceptual Colour Collection, showcase and sold in Old Town shop in Stockholm. Accompany by readings from the COLOUR MANUAL, a guide to alternative use of COLOUR in everyday life, especially designed for CHROMOSAPIENS. 17
Our full range of emotions is our palette with which we bring color to our lives. (Anne Copeland)
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The feeling for things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for the picture. (Vincent van Gogh)
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We are manufacturing emotions and good vibrations. (chromophilia)
Blue is the male principle, stern and spiritual. Yellow the female principle, gentle, cheerful and sensual. Red is matter, brutal and heavy and always the colour which must be fought and vanquished by the other two. /Franz Marc
Colour on the INSIDE. Women in general reported that they would rather wear colour close to the skin than in garment that are fully visible. Mainly two reasons were given, insecurity in choosing the right colour (reason: personal) and feeling of inadequacy while wearing colour at work (reason:economic/ social). Women working in creative field were clearly more positive to use colour as a tool to improve well-being. 19
Graphic design and Communication Graphic design has become a vital part and a COMMUNICATION tool of the concept behind the CHROMOWEAR collection. The message that is conveyed here is that of wearing a colour instead of wearing a garment. We are selling "good vibes", "moments of stability", "energy restorers", "pure comprehension", "conflict free areas": not garments or textiles. Joanna Bodzek and Richardo Giraldi have developed the visual identity of the project.
20 CHROMOPHILIA logo, design: Joanna Bodzek, since 2007 Chromhilia is a registere trademark.
Labels design: Joanna Bodzek.
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To publish the CHROMOMANUAL in connection with the collection was an important step in the work against colour forecasting, giving voice to the colour theory instead, this added extra dimension to the artwork and became artwork itself. 22
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Results of the carried out research has brought to our attention that, pure clear colours are associated with primary instincts, similarly as in nature they denote fear, danger, sex, warning. Children and the male population prefer clear colours while women generally are attracted towards softer pastels. This research also showed that majority of the women would find the concept of wearing “colours� as an undergarment appealing and exciting. For some, Colours also showed having a sensual connotation. We have exploited above ideas in a video installation "CHROMOtions"
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I became intrigued with colour theory. The absurd pronouncements of the Colour Institute, a group that decides what colours are hot each year or season, amused me. /John Barton
Video installation "CHROMOtions. Creative idea: Joanna Bodzek. Photo: Christofer Rus
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This search for colour choosing mechanisms, trends and emotional responses to colour brought us unexpectedly to the world of performance art where CHROMOPHILIA was presented in June 2008 at the International Performance Festival “Frictions� in Uppsala Art Museum in Sweden.
I have been fascinated by Synesthesia and this has influenced, and still does, large part oh the visual experimental work by CHROMOPHILIA. 26
Monastery of colour Leading up to this performance was the events
each consonant, hence Olga sings in colours. It
Y is connected to the colour of Fuchsia, which
when I came in contact with OLGA
is great fun and, most importantly, it unlocks
is to be visualised while singing it.
SZWAJGIER, the world-class soprano and
unexpected voice resources even in such an
Singing the vowels on certain frequencies is
creator of the unique voice compass widening
unmusical person as I thought I was.
cleansing and energising the body centres.
method, which has extended her voice range
She sang again, this time it was the vowel E
Frequencies of tones at 440 hertz are used by
from four to six octaves and can sing to the
connected to the throat chakra and the hues of
world philharmonic orchestras to tune their
limits of hearing. I was attending her
Blue, it was to regenerate this energy centre
instruments. This frequency is also present in
workshops both in Poland and in Sweden. This
related to communication.
all electrons in our atoms. If this tuning tone
meeting introduced a series of more
She produced a “faulty” noise, while she
were played for longer period of time, in that
EXPERIMENTAL WORKS and a NEW
imagined a blue colour surrounding and
very frequency, musicians would considerably
DIRECTION for the project.
entering her body, her voice changed
energise themselves, audiences and the world.
dramatically becoming a soft heavenly sound
“You can definitely boost your energy by
Below is an excerpt from an article published
as she kept on singing.
using your voice in that way” she said.
on the CHROMO-blog, outlining Olga´s main
Then she focused on other characteristics
She talked about Fabien Mamen, a musician
ideas about colour and sound:
related to the consonants.
who, in co-operation with a scientist, is
For example violet and the vowel I,
performing experiments on cancer cells in
"Mrs Szwajgier that is a Distinguished
regenerate the pituitary gland positioned at the
laboratory settings. When cancer cells were
Lecturer at the Ludwik Solski State School of
base of the brain, and this has revitalising
subjected to certain tones and vibrations the
Drama in Cracow sings sounds as colours.
impact on all other endocrine glands of our
researchers witness a remarkable healing
According to Olga we can sing a certain
bodies.
processes caused by the sounds.
vowel/consonant and see a related colour. And
The vowel U is connected to kidneys
Olga added that Beethoven, while composing
she only teaches after she has experimented
(strengthening them while singing), it helps to
his music, had said that a “settima “ (half tone
many times, again and again.
reach and sing from your underbelly and access
less then an octave) will change the world and
This is the core meaning of her teaching; she
energy emanating from there. The generated
that he had understood the power of sound on
sings a note focusing on the colour related to
sound will then resonate in the whole body.
a grand scale.
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Together with musitians P채r Wedin we have explored visual and musical expressions of combination of COLOUR and SOUND.
P채r Wedin, sound and colour composition.
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A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul. / Goethe
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Public at Uppsala Art Performance Festival
Article from Uppsala Art Museum catologue.
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CHROMOSEARCH looks at Synesthesia. Contradictory ideas about Synesthesia has been found by researchers, it is for example now assumed that Synesthesia is very rear among the male population. It is also known that the colour reaction to a sound is very personal and it is not changing within an experience of the same person, this is to say that a person will always associate the same sound with the same colour. I have been fascinated by this phenomenon and it has influenced large part oh the visual experimental part of the CHROMOPHILIA works. Around 19 century Synesthesia, the ability to connect sound to colour seemed to have caused wide interest among musicians artist and poets. At the beginning of 20 century Paris not to have this ability was equal with belonging to B-class of artists so, according to modern research on Synesthesia, some artist would ...simply fake this ability. One of the artists suspected later for not having but pretending to “suffer� from Synesthesia was Baudelaire.
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Why do two colours, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? no. Just as one can never learn how to paint. 34
/Picasso
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Chromo Q questionnaire brought to our attention the fact that almost 80% of young people( 15 to 20 years old), students who completed the research, has connected specific colours to corresponding sounds or at least have used sound related vocabulary to more adequately and vividly describe colours.
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Audio CD MONASTERY OF COLOUR, Icreative idea Joanna Bodzek, music and production P채r Wedin
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BLUE, which most modern psychologists, has identified as the most widely preferred colour among Europeans, is held to be concentric, passive, sensitive, perceptive, unifying, and so on, and thus to express tranquillity, tenderness, and 'love and affection'.
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Images from video installation "Orchestrating Colours". Idea, photo, production: Joanna Bodzek. Sound, P채r Wedin.
Green--mmmm black -ooooo Blue-ahhh silver-brrrr Gold-uuuuu brown-lllllllu Pink-fuuuuu indigo (blue/ violet)-fiiiii
It seems to me the aesthetics of colour have developed very little during this century precisely because they have been to exclusively concerned with laboratory testing, and too little with colourpreferences as expressed in the practical choices of everyday life. / John Gage in "Colour and meaning"
White-sszzzz red-haaaaa
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Tone C is called “green note” (as Schubert used to describe it) because it enhances the growth of vegetation during spring. This frequency is present in a bird’s song.
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RED AS REMEDY In England Scarlet clothes were used to stop bleeding, the physician of Edward the II directed that everything in the room should be red to thwart smallpox. Red was a popular treatment for these dieses. In Ireland and Russia red flannel was a remedy for a scarlet fever. On an Ireland of Karpatos a Greek priest would tie a red thread on the neck of a sick person, the next day friends would remove the thread and tie it to a three and thus transfer the illness to the tree. Red wool cured sprains in Scotland, sore throat in Ireland. Red sealing wax prevented and cured eruptions. Red overcame nightmares in Japan. In Macedonia red was protecting a newborn child. In china wearing a Ruby would guarantee a long life. I many other countries for centuries Red stone was used to make amulets for protection from evil as well as dieses. All images from video installation "EMOTIONS". Idea, photo, production: Joanna Bodzek. Sound, P채r Wedin.
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CHROMO WORKSHOP: Creativity Mobilization Trough Colour “Art is the plank after the shipwreck, that saves someone…” —Constantin Brancusi Another exciting project initiated by CHROMOPHILIA
subconscious mind. This allows releasing projections and creative
started after I came in contact with Creativity Mobilisation
blockages…it works and it’s fun.
Technique and its view on healing aspects of colour.
Main intention of this technique is to access creative capacity by
That when why I decided to start a larger test group. Below
“cleaning” disturbing influences during 6 to 8 weeks long process
is an article and announcement published on the subject on
divided in 4 main stages.
the CHROMOBLOG.
The participants needs lots of newspaper pages, 8 specified colours as well as a private space where he /she can work undisturbed for about
…It will be running from the middle of April 2007 and 6 weeks onwards. The group will communicate by Skype, email and be showing the progress via Flickr. Max 10 people will be couched this pilot round and if you are interested email me at joanna@chromophilia.eu for details and application form. The only requirement to join this group is that you work in the creative field and have access to the computer ☺. I have come in contact with Creativity Mobilization and started to use and experiment with it immediately on myself and a test group. Results excided my expectations found the process more than interesting and the results… fascinating! realising that this concept is very interesting addition to include in CHROMOPHILIA. A nonverbal process-oriented method involving work with brush, paint, and paper that attempts to activate functions essential for various types of creative activities. This method is based on the effects of painting with carefully chosen colours in order to affect the
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half an hour 4 times a week. Then there are relatively easy rules to follow and each painting will only take 2 minutes. The project coordinators responsibility is mainly to control the correct understanding of the method and all the aspects and to give continuous information and feedback on different stages that participants are entering. Participants are working autonomously painting and writing short notes after each session to document the experiences and progress. A study of this method was done as a subject of an MA course at Stockholm’s Institute of Psychology. I have come in contact with it and started to use and experiment with it immediately on myself and on a mini test group realising that this concept is very interesting addition to include in CHROMOPHILIA. I found the process more than interesting and the results… fascinating! The reading: Creativity mobilization technique / Wolfgang Luthe/ New York : Grune & Stratton, 1976
2 minutes paintings by Natasha Kielan: URDRAG UR ANTECKNINGARNA: DAG 1:kändes monotont och lite meningslöst, alla blev lika som spybun röra. Försökte röra handen på olika sätt men tyckte att jag bara kom tillbaka till samma sträck. DAG 2: jobbigt att göra olika rörelser helatiden, jag råkade göra 16 st istället. Känns som att jag har slösat förmycket färg. ANDRA VECKAN: Kändes bra, lättare, hade bättre klocka, lite jobbigt att sätta fast pappret så det inte åker runt. Det tog inte 45 min utan 40 idag konstigt. Dag 1 kändes som tiden gick snabbare idag, det är lite svårt att ändra handens rörelser. Dag 2 TRÖTT! glömde hålla koll på tiden ibland annars ok.
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A nonverbal process-oriented method involving work with brush, COLOUR, and paper that attempts to activate functions essential for various types of creative activities.
Day 1 I have started! ‌ I would like to have a paper of a larger format this would allow for grater freedom in movement, or the brush is to big, no, no the paper is to small I am more with the dance of the hand rhythm, moment of the whole body than in what is developing in the paper which is only a derivative of the movement, RED with PURPLE, SHARP YELLOW with GREEN attracts me most, not once I have used BROWN. God where all the BROWN clothes in my wardrobe come from ???.I fill the pages very quickly, chaos for me is not a problem, the structure is, I love how all different shades of GREEN are evolving and ripen, it gives me unsaid pleasure when I mix the Green shades with sharp yellow. Its real fun!!!! Ewa Holuj, architect, Svensk Inredning
2 minutes painting by Natasha Kielan
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"Everyone stands up when you come in. You wear a costume identifying you as, if not quite divine, someone special." / Irving R. Kaufman Irving R. Kaufman
CHROMO ON STAGE. April 2008 Dansens Hus, Stockholm CHROMOPHILIA and SU-EN Butoch Company work together on costumes for Su_en Butoch Company stage piece called CRACS. We were working with colours as an independent dimension ofther performance. "Extrema livsvillkor har ofta varit en utgångspunkt för SU-EN, som gärna låter kroppen pressas mot den autentiska smärtan eller stillheten, mot skönheten i den deformerade konturen. I Cracks varvas absurd humor med brutalitet och sensualitet. Föreställningen som hade premiär på Dansens Hus 3 april 2008 är skapad i samarbete med företaget Chromophilia, klädskaparen och färgforskaren Joanna Bodzek och färgerna fungerar här som ett självständigt sinne i rummet."
Costum and textile design for Cracs: Joanna Bodzek
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CHROMOPHILIA Costium design for SuEn Butoh Company/Sweden, PHOTO GUNNAR STENING
But what of thirst, tell me the colour of thirst, rainbow lips and tongue eyes devoid of hues. Tell me the colour of dreams, the faceless gathering a picnic in your own meandering mind, tints of every kind. Ripe tomatoes red, blue feathers blue. But what of truth, tell me the colour of truth, the colour of trust of love of pain of hope of touch of fear of prayer of wrong of right. Tell me the colour of words, the pigments of life in the dark and the light.
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Thanks to Konstnärsnämnden! We would like to thank Konsnärsnämden for making it possible to develop and see CHROMOPHILIA project becoming a reality for us and for the public that has seen it. It has been such a learning curve for all of us an resulted in artistic configurations and art works we would never imagine to get involved in in the beginning of the project. To get this funding was a very important step in the chromophilia project and gave our self -confidence a push forward and as a result all involved have definitely developed new creative sides! This economical base that the funding gave us has enabled us to realise our dream, cooperate, learn, make mistakes and then make new improvements and learn again.
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Thanks to ! Konstnärsnämnden for the GOLDEN Cash that has been a stable and absolute necessary base to grow the CHROMOPHILIA upon. Royal College of Art in London for letting us access excellent resources for research on a subject of colour. And especially to Neil Parkinson . Thanks to VALENTINA who has worked like mad with developing and maintaining the blog, writing and shaping its content even without much support, it has now been spotted by Colour Lovers and the Colour spot. She is also the woman behind the writing of the text in the book, fearlessly rewritten in some parts by Joanna Bodzek. Göran Bergström for his insightful and unstoppable support and advice. Gosia Bodzek för working and helping with words and letters.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO CHROMOPHILIA AND THIS DOCUMENTATION.
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Supported by:
© 2008 JOANNABODZEK