Thursday Salute to Originals: Color Phenomena
For as long as anyone can remember, architects, designers and artists have used color in various manners as a way to create a unique experience in a space. At the Hirschhorn Museum, Venezuela born Kinetic and Op Artist Carlos Cruz-Diez has employed color in his exhibit in a way that each viewer can experience the space in their own way.
“Color is not simply the color of things,” says Cruz-Diez. “It is an evolving situation, a reality which acts on the human being with the same intensity as cold, heat, and sound.”
Since the mid-1960’s, Cruz-Diez has been developing what is known as Chromosaturations, white rooms completely bathed in RGB light. Each room in the installation is featureless and is illuminated by various gradations between the three colors. “Cruz-Diez says the point of the installation is to show how color is essentially an experience–one that depends on participation from humans.”
Many studies have been conducted about the effects of artificial light on the psychological and physiological state of humans. Everything from the rose stained glass windows of Gothic cathedrals to futuristic light-bathed rooms each are designed to have a special effect on people. In what other ways can we as designers craft unique spaces that tap the senses of human beings?
Image Credits: Fastco Design