TRANSLATING COLOUR 2013
The works are a capturing of a particular color that nature presented at a certain time and place, and then a ‘re’presentation in the now. The panels presented as the work could be seen as a translation (via technological means) from nature-produced colour to man-produced colour.
An object’s natural colours are often determined by the structure of the chemicals within. Some of the most common molecules in nature are carotenoids, chlorophyll, and anthocyanin, which are known collectively as pigments due to their color-producing properties and are responsible for various shades of orange, green, and purple. As far as the theory goes, color presents itself via light. Humans have a very complicated set of rules and systems they call Color Management used to obtain a ‘correct’ color. This system is a set of tools and concepts that tries to manage or control something, which in its essence, is not controllable.
With a camera and color sensing app I obtained a mathematical interpretation of colors (HEX codes) from natural sources so as to utilise this color management process. The challenge in this project was trying to work in an uncontrolled way through a highly controlled system. My request of 'Here's the number can you give me the color please?' caused many lengthy and complicated discussions. I wanted to let the machines that were laying down the pigments on the paper create what came from the number without human intervention. The trouble with machines though, is having to work with the humans that control them.
