An exploration into colour symbolism as used by - National Centre ...

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specimen to which we in the United Kingdom are accustomed. They may not even be the same recognisable pillar-box shape. In Spain for example they are yellow, in the United States blue and somewhat box-shaped, and in the Gion district of Japan you may even see one coloured orange (see Figure 2). a) Tyendinega Mohawk Territory, b) Seoul, Korea c) Mongolia Canada d) Tunisia e) China f) The English version Figure1: “Stop” signs from around the world (See end for all image references) a) United Kingdom b) Spain c) Gion district, Japan d) USA Figure 2: Post-boxes from around the world ©Laura Dilloway, NCCA 2006 3
The strength of a colour-related symbol is increased further when colour is combined with form. In Japan, white carnations signify death, and if you were to give a married Chinese man a green hat you would be telling him that his wife had been unfaithful (Kyrnin 1/3/06). Colour symbolism has even been integrated into the languages that we speak. English speaking countries have expressions such as “blue blood”, “black sheep”, “green-eyed monster” and “red-light district” to name but a few. However when translated into other languages some colour-related phrases can take on an entirely different meaning. One example of this is that in English when we say that someone is “blue”, we mean that they are feeling sad or depressed, but in Germany “to be blue” means “to be heavily intoxicated” (Zettl 1999). This paper aims to look into the way that the symbolism associated with colours varies from culture to culture, and religion to religion. It discusses the evolution of colour symbolism as according to various theorists from history, and then moves on to look at the influence of heraldry, before outlining the associations that are made with the main colours of the spectrum, attempting to focus on the differences between the Eastern and Western worlds. I have then looked at how colour symbolism and its varying interpretations have had an impact on the field of visual media, including some specific examples that can be seen in film as well as the real world. Ultimately I aim to highlight the key areas for concern when producing any piece of work that is intended to convey a message through use of colour, and to provide a point of reference for anyone who wishes to enhance the impact of their work using the associated symbolism that colour provides. ©Laura Dilloway, NCCA 2006 4
Page 1 and 2: An exploration into colour symbolis
Page 3 and 4: o Universal colours 27 o Varying in
Page 5 and 6: • Fig. 15 - A red poppy, commonly
Page 7: Introduction Colour can serve as a
Page 11 and 12: During his extensive studies, Galil
Page 13 and 14: ought to the world in the form of a
Page 15 and 16: ones that were vertical. Italy also
Page 17 and 18: Colour and religion The meaning of
Page 19 and 20: “the reawakening of conscience in
Page 21 and 22: Judaism In the Jewish religion, the
Page 23 and 24: Hinduism There is little differenti
Page 25 and 26: This association of red with blood
Page 27 and 28: Orange The national colour of the D
Page 29 and 30: “The yellow fog that rubs its bac
Page 31 and 32: “…symbol of the soul’s regene
Page 33 and 34: world. Even some countries that wou
Page 35 and 36: The usage of unusual or unexplained
Page 37 and 38: company such as an airline had a el
Page 39 and 40: Mulan USA The use of colour in “M
Page 41 and 42: thought to symbolise her energy and
Page 43 and 44: House of Flying Daggers (China) “
Page 45 and 46: As producers, artists and film make
Page 47 and 48: Critique of report Originally when
Page 49 and 50: Major Project, but knowing what I d
Page 51 and 52: Appendix A Common Western affiliati
Page 53 and 54: Appendix C Colours used in the anci
Page 55 and 56: References Anon. Appropriate Colour
Page 57 and 58: House of Flying Daggers, 2004. DVD.
Page 59 and 60:
[Accessed 4 March 06] Figure 5 a) h
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