Secret Lives of Color
problem: Create a design based on the back story and color meaning of the color you choose.
guiding question: How can a composition be reflective of the history and personality of a specific color while still be in the style of the designer?
color backstory
When copper is exposed to oxygen, a naturally occurring carbonate forms, and we see it as the color verdigris. Verdigris is the color on prominent attractions such as the Statue of Liberty and Belvedere Palace in Vienna. However, its presence on iconic buildings is not the only thing that associates verdigris with wealth and power. This connection was formed as far back as the 15th century when verdigris was featured in the 1434 Arnolfini Portrait. In the painting, the woman is wearing an intricate dress in a bright green, indicating her family’s high status. At the time, creating green pigment required a grueling process. Leaves of copper had to be placed in a pot of lye and vinegar, left for two weeks, dried, powdered, and more. Although the long process produced a beautiful color, it was temporary. The acids used to create the pigment ate away at the parchment while the paint itself reacted with other pigments and became discolored. Verdigris was best explained by Italian painter Cennino Cennini: “it is beautiful to the eye, but it does not last”. To illustrate this idea, I incorporated the idea of impermanence by depicting a budding relationship. However, as shown by the hands reaching out in the bottom left corner of the composition, these relationships are not always permanent and should therefore be appreciated and nurtured whenever possible.
final design
process
