it’s all about the orange – colour psychology for 2016…

It’s all about the orange – a cool or fashionable colour of the moment.

But what does orange mean to you? Well there seem to be many popular theories about warmth, energy, vitality and an open mind or is that yellow? The theories conflict.

Generally it is a confident colour, extraverted, warm and happy. It is between the passionate excess of a red and the cheerfulness of a yellow and as seems to be a representation and combination of both.

It is said it is optimistic, rejuvenating and offers emotional strength. Mmm.

Truth is it means something different to all of us and at the end of the day, at the risk of belittling the heavy and the high brow theorists, it is a colour, it is paint, it is an object that absorbs so much light and no more, but will appear different in a variety of different situations and contexts, in particular when it is situated next to or between other colours… I’m rambling.

To my mind, to the collected lifetime of images, and immeasurable collection of visual experiences, orange, a fully saturated orange like the one here, none of that ‘lilly livered’, faded, or worse still pastel frippery, is reminiscent of a happy childhood and loving parents.

It reminds me of Sheffield schooldays, and especially of my Dad, who painted my desk and a bedroom a darker shade of tangerine.

Well it was the 1970’s.

 

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