The Aquarelle of nature

Birds weren’t aware of the colour wheel and the mysterious language of colours. The scarlet macaw, the rainbow lorikeet, or the flame bowerbird are examples of nature working with Aquarelle. Should they be eradicated because of their exquisite plumage? Should the optical phenomenon between sunlight and atmospheric conditions be disregarded in narratives? I doubt rainbows will disappear.

The problem is the attitude towards colours, particularly when shunning one or two in favour of hues with symbolic weight. Sir Isaac Newton would have to be brought to account. He is to blame for the distress that certain colour combinations produce in some social groups. When Newton invented the colour wheel in 1666, he certainly had a fundamental theory of a complex topic. His text, published in 1704, explained his findings regarding colours and light.

The confiscation of products based on colour combinations would have shocked Newton. He would also be mortified that some groups have taken ownership of his studies for ideological reasons. Keeping in mind that ideas can be silenced, not destroyed. The use of political colours and associated emblems plays an essential role in the emotional life of social movements. Unfortunately, less illuminated minds tend to reinforce a stiffened narrative based on the combinations.

The earliest traces of the colour concept date back to ancient times. Its voyage through the Renaissance has been the subject of serious study. The original theory was put forth by Aristotle. He identified four colours corresponding to the elements of earth, fire, air, and water. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is known, along with other theorists such as Tobias Mayer, Philipp Otto Runge, and Thomas Young, to have dedicated time and effort to researching and understanding the colour wheel. The theory is both based on science and art.

Later, industrialisation created a focus not just on theory but also on the standardisation of colour and colour naming. Most of us start learning about colours in nurseries and elementary schools. Will children be restricted in their choices when colouring books?

We are driven by colour preferences. We think about colour when choosing an outfit for a special event or taking a photo for social media. Girls express themselves by using colours and designs on their nails as an expression of beauty. Men also use a broad range of colours and designs to spice up their looks. Colour is context-dependent, either in art, literature, education, or even political systems.

Besides influencing emotion, colour also holds meaning in various cultures, from traffic lights to patriotism to holidays to marketing, branding, wealth, ecology, medicine, and religion. Colour is also used in therapy, known as chromotherapy, based on the idea that coloured lights can help treat physical or mental disorders. Or the opposite, as the use of white torture can be destructive of a person’s psychological senses; it can drive a person to the brink of madness, causing both visual and auditory hallucinations.

The vivid clouds give wings to imagination and dreams. I look into the sky, and I can see a pink plane or a small dot, and I think of a bird, a dash of silver, and flying fish. A full moon paints the world silver. I can draw a yellow sun on a leaf or a blue bird on a white piece of paper. We have a strong bond with the colours of nature.

Colour has played a significant role in human evolution. It explains how humans perceive colour and its visual effects. As we are attracted to colourful birds’ plumage, blue skies, sunsets, rainbows, and the use of filters for photos for social media, giving a shallow narrative to colour combinations is dismissing the relevance of past studies, development, and education.

“We live in a rainbow of chaos,” according to the French artist Paul Cezanne.