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Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments
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Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments

A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 11098

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yulia A. Griber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology and Philosophy, Smolensk State University, Smolensk, Russia
Interests: color culture; color language; color in architecture and urban planning; color design; environmental color design; color psychology; color in occupational health; color in the clinic color education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to discuss the increasing complexity of urban color, to examine its role, functions, and scales in urban settings, as well as to review conceptual and methodological approaches to environmental color research.

In general, our scope is broad within the remit of color in urban art and design. We welcome submission of manuscripts from all disciplines, including, but not limited to, psychology, sociology, philosophy, art history, color design, and visual arts.

In this Special Issue, we are seeking research on important facets of color research which have been omitted within the research literature.

One line of research inquiries into how color – in cultural landscapes, architecture, art-in-architecture, public sculptures, artworks, urban furniture, traffic environments, advertisements – functions and developes in urban space changing its aesthetic appearance.

Another line of research concerns how colors contribute to the image of a city. The inquiry includes such questions as: How do we design color concepts for cities, villages, urban space? What is the importance of “matter” in the application of color in a world in which digitalization has taken command of color design? This Special Issue explores new theoretical and methodological approaches relevant for the future, such as using colors to serve as elements for wayfinding, provide orientation cues, create identity at specific locations, and enhance visual distinction between areas.

We also encourage papers that examine theoretical and empirical research into how colors influence people’s perception, mood, and affective attachment to a place. How do we create color harmony, color atmospheres, and color ambience? What are the urban environments we live in that reveal emotional and atmospheric quality? Colored light is just one of the design elements that enhances not only landmarks of a city at night, but also the atmosphere of urban space.

The scholarly approach of articles can cover theory, empirical research, history and historical analysis, archival research, and case studies.

In sum, this Special Issue aims to deepen the discussion of the fundamental role of color in urban environments and intends to disclose new approaches to color in urban space.

Prof. Dr. Yulia A. Griber
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban environment
  • environmental colour design
  • colour in urban art
  • urban colour
  • colour methodology
  • colour identity
  • colour ambience

Published Papers (5 papers)

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22 pages, 9034 KiB  
Article
“Playing” with Color: How Similar Is the “Geometry” of Color Harmony in the CIELAB Color Space across Countries?
by Yulia A. Griber, Tatyana Samoilova, Abdulrahman S. Al-Rasheed, Victoria Bogushevskaya, Elisa Cordero-Jahr, Alexey Delov, Yacine Gouaich, James Manteith, Philip Mefoh, Jimena Vanina Odetti, Gloria Politi and Tatyana Sivova
Arts 2024, 13(2), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts13020053 - 12 Mar 2024
Viewed by 925
Abstract
In physical environments and cultural landscapes, we most often deal not with separate colors, but with color combinations. When choosing a color, we usually try to “fit” it into a preexisting color context, making the new color combination harmonious. Yet are the “laws” [...] Read more.
In physical environments and cultural landscapes, we most often deal not with separate colors, but with color combinations. When choosing a color, we usually try to “fit” it into a preexisting color context, making the new color combination harmonious. Yet are the “laws” of color harmony fundamental to our shared cognitive architecture, or are they cultural products that vary from country to country? To answer these questions we conducted an experiment with 599 participants aged 18 to 76 from eight different countries, including Algeria (MA = 26.2 years; SD = 8.8; 49 men, 26 women), Belarus (MA = 19.8 years; SD = 9.1; 19 men, 63 women), Italy (MA = 29.0 years; SD = 12.8; 23 men, 67 women), Mexico (MA = 20.0 years; SD = 7.0; 34 men, 23 women), Nigeria (MA = 34.7 years; SD = 10.5; 29 men, 32 women), Russia (MA = 24.6 years; SD = 6.3; 17 men, 72 women), Saudi Arabia (MA = 24.5 years; SD = 8.6; 28 men, 38 women), and Chile (MA = 34.3 years; SD = 15.1; 35 men, 43 women). To create experimental stimuli, we used 10 color combinations composed by the Russian avant-garde artist Mikhail Matyushin and his disciples for the Reference Book of Color (1932) based on shades that were typical in architectural design—yellow ochre, light umber, light ochre, and burnt umber. We removed the “intermediary” linking color from each of the selected color triads and asked participants to adjust the color of this band according to their liking. Mapping 2995 color choices into CIELAB and CIELCh color space to identify their chromatic characteristics (hue, lightness, and chroma), we demonstrate graphically that color triads in different cultures have a different “geometry” in CIELAB color space and on the color circle. We conclude that the revealed patterns of these relationships reflect cross-cultural “shifts” in human perception of color harmony. The analysis presented in this paper will facilitate opportunities for architects, designers, and other color professionals to create culturally specific harmonic color combinations in urban environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments)
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17 pages, 10586 KiB  
Article
The Complexity of Colour/Textile Interaction in Digital Printing as an Integral Part of Environmental Design
by Marijana Tkalec, Martina Glogar, Željko Penava, Petra Forte Tavčer, Danjela Kuščer and Izabela Stojanoska
Arts 2024, 13(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts13010029 - 07 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1197
Abstract
Textile materials are an essential part of contemporary architecture, the environment, and urban spaces due to their unique appearance and qualities, as it is now possible to achieve both a structural function and an aesthetic quality with textiles. As colour is one of [...] Read more.
Textile materials are an essential part of contemporary architecture, the environment, and urban spaces due to their unique appearance and qualities, as it is now possible to achieve both a structural function and an aesthetic quality with textiles. As colour is one of the most important characteristics of textile material, it is also important to understand the relationships between colour and textile material with different surface qualities. In order to explain the complexity of different textile materials and the appearance of colours, which consequently affects the colour properties, this paper analyses this phenomenon. The presented research analyses the dependence of the reproduction quality and colour appearance on fabrics of different construction and structural characteristics, i.e., the texture of the textile material, printed using digital inkjet technology. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of various structural features of textiles on the colour appearance of digitally printed textile substrates, to monitor the quality of colour reproduction, and to analyse the behaviour of a reactive dye droplet on textile substrates. Printing of a particular shape was performed using a Dimatix Materials Printer DMP-2831 piezoelectric inkjet device (provided by the J. Stefan Institute, Ljubjana, Slovenia; manufactured by Fujifilm Dimatix Inc., 2230 Martin Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The behaviour of the ink delivered by the needle of the tensiometer DSA20E, Kruess GmbH (provided by the J. Stefan Institute, Ljubjana, Slovenia; manufactured by Kruess Scientific Instruments (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Futong Dong Dajie 10 Baoneng Center, Tower B, Room 605 Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, China), on the surface of the fabric was analysed. The samples were digitally printed on a Mimaki digital printer Tx2-1600 (provided by University of Ljubljana Faculty of Natural Science and Engineering, Slovenia EU; manufactured by Mimaki, 2182-3 Shigeno-Otsu, Tomi-city, Nagano, Japan), with reactive dyes, which were first pretreated in a bath with a specific solution. The statistical method of image analysis and microscopic imaging were used to obtain the characteristics of the porosity, texture, and roughness parameters. All results are presented from colouristic analysis based on the objectification of colour and colour differences. The objective values of the parameters of lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (h°) show the significant influence of the structure and properties of the substrate on colour reproduction, and significant changes were obtained, which were confirmed by the evaluation of the colour differences. The results confirm the influence of the substrate structure on colour properties. Furthermore, it is essential to consider this complexity in the context of environmental colour design when utilising (coloured) textile installations/materials in architecture and urban spaces, i.e., in the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments)
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27 pages, 12236 KiB  
Article
“Pretty in Pink”—The Pink Color in Architecture and the Built Environment: Symbolism, Traditions, and Contemporary Applications
by Justyna Tarajko-Kowalska and Przemysław Kowalski
Arts 2023, 12(4), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040161 - 19 Jul 2023
Viewed by 3565
Abstract
The main goal of this article is to summarize and present the most important facts concerning the use of the pink color in the built environment of the 20th and 21st centuries, considering its symbolic, functional, and decorative aspects, with particular emphasis on [...] Read more.
The main goal of this article is to summarize and present the most important facts concerning the use of the pink color in the built environment of the 20th and 21st centuries, considering its symbolic, functional, and decorative aspects, with particular emphasis on Western cultures. This monograph of color is aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the place and meaning of pink in the contemporary architectural space and to allow architects to use this color with greater awareness of its characteristic features. The results of the analysis of over 100 pink buildings and spaces, collected by the authors since 2016, are grouped into seven main thematic sections, which express different ways of applying pink in the built environment: as a traditional color, a stereotypic feminine and girlish color, a contrast color in public spaces, an extravagant color, a symbol of peace, hope, tolerance, and solidarity, a trendy color, and finally an “Instagramable” and fictional color. The main conclusion is that the pink color usage in contemporary architecture is very diverse and reflects the various associations and symbolisms of the color itself, which can only be understood in its socio-cultural contexts. Currently, two opposing tendencies are especially compelling—the first related to the kitschy and plastic aesthetic of “Barbie pink”, and the second associated with more neutral and universal “Millennial pink”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments)
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20 pages, 11212 KiB  
Article
Color Semantics of the Cultural Landscape
by Olga Lavrenova
Arts 2023, 12(3), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12030111 - 30 May 2023
Viewed by 1575
Abstract
A cultural landscape is the result of a continuous interaction between the surrounding natural landscape and culture. Meanings, symbols, and codes of culture are an integral part of it. This paper is a review of publications on current research over the past 20 [...] Read more.
A cultural landscape is the result of a continuous interaction between the surrounding natural landscape and culture. Meanings, symbols, and codes of culture are an integral part of it. This paper is a review of publications on current research over the past 20 years. The aim is to analyze the existing research practices, which are based on factual evidence and existing theoretical foundations, using an interdisciplinary approach, in order to come closer to a sufficiently holistic understanding of the coloristic semantics of the cultural landscape. Such a review and analysis of disparate studies allows for the first time the correlation of different types of cultural landscapes (urban, rural, gardens, and parks) and different types of signifier functions performed in them by color—signals, indices, iconic models, conventional signs or symbols, zero, or empty signs. The author analyzes the difference in the semantics of chromatic and achromatic colors and explores the landscape chromodynamics, namely, by creating the first-ever classification of the types and meanings of color foci of various durations—from days to decades. Color loci signs are continuously communicating in the cultural landscape, which is a field of constant “cultural explosion”, where traditional cultural meanings are transmitted and new meanings are generated. The author comes to the conclusion that color symbolism is part of the “landscape-as-text” containing certain information—“messages” of culture to itself. In these messages, color has sacral, temporal, and historical semantics, thus creating an extended semantic frame for the reproduction of cultural codes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments)
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14 pages, 7911 KiB  
Article
Black Dancers and White Ballet: Case of Cuba
by Larisa Nikiforova, Anastasiia Vasileva and Mayumi Sakamoto de Miasnikov
Arts 2023, 12(2), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12020081 - 15 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2687
Abstract
Throughout the XX century, the hard-fought battle of blacks and dark-skinned dancers to perform the classical repertoire on professional stages (including “white ballets”) was a part of the struggle for citizens’ equality. Cuba is a clear example of creating a national ballet school [...] Read more.
Throughout the XX century, the hard-fought battle of blacks and dark-skinned dancers to perform the classical repertoire on professional stages (including “white ballets”) was a part of the struggle for citizens’ equality. Cuba is a clear example of creating a national ballet school in a country where the fight for social equality was closely connected with overcoming racial segregation. But some researchers have noted that the majority of dancers in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba belong to the Caucasoid phenotype, which means they do not represent the Cuban nation which includes a large variety of phenotypes. We pose the question in what way is the history of Cuban ballet and the artistic experience of its founders connected with the struggle of blacks to have professional dancing careers, and is there actually racial discrimination in Cuban ballet? We demonstrate that the Alonso triumvirate was a good indicator of the problem: Alicia and Fernando as performers, and Alberto Alonso as a choreographer, participated in a cultural movement directed at the rebirth of Cuban identity, they performed African American dances, and they worked together with George Balanchine, who adapted black dance and invited black dancers into his company. However, due to various reasons and circumstances, Alicia Alonso, first for herself and then for the Nacional ballet school and theatre, took a different path, that of entering, on equal footing, the domain of classical ballet, of European art in its essence, in which the white aesthetic is inherent. We would like to demonstrate that the main explanation of the paradox of Cuban ballet became the aesthetic dictatorship of the classics, the dictatorship within “white ballet” which is accepted voluntarily. Classical ballet is an art of subordination to rules and images that are thought of as absolute pinnacles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colour: Art and Design in Urban Environments)
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