Color Theory and Emotional Effects

Color effects us as to saying it can have an emotional effect on us. Emotional responses to color can be both culturally conditioned and intensely personal. For most people in America green and red, when seen one thinks of christmas, but when seen seperately green can represent St. Patricks day and red for Valentines Day. Lighter colors tend to give a more easier and peaceful feeling, while darker colors tend to mean more anger and evil. For example Edward Munch's painting The Scream; the clouds are painted red which is said to be interpreted as blood, and the persons face is screaming. The book explains that how would we know that it was supposed to indicate horror, blood and anguish without actually reading Munch's diary. Why can't it be a beutiful sunset and just a person yelling to someone else. This is because color effects our emotional response to the artwork- the red (blood) sky, and the person in black clothes (dark-evil) screaming with his body wavy- making us feel uneasy. I am most fascinated by why people feel impulsed to do things due to color- such as eat foods because of color, or when colors are calming, and relaxing. To me it seems like a natural impulse that no one can explain, like why people get comfort out of eating when they are depresses, and why people smoke when they are stressed- it is just something we do. In the color video the thing I found most interesting was the part when the artist Mark Rotko tried to attract an emotional response using color in restaurant and dinner settings. In the feelings video what I found most interesting was learning about artists from thousands of years ago and how they had a sense of feeling and color. They used color in their works of art to bring about emotions in people. They would either blend the colors to make a harmonizinf effect or contrast them to give a mixed feeling.