Colors have their own symbolism in cultures, religions, politics, and history. Black and white are, strictly speaking, not colors. However, light and dark play a major role in art and design and have various symbolic meanings. Colors are wavelengths reflected by objects to the human eye. White is pure light and black is the absence of light. One of the reasons we are attracted to black is indeed its dichotomies. It is sophisticated and primitive, emotional and intellectual, it is a color that everyone responds strongly to, in one way or another. To further explore this characteristic of the color black — the fact that no two black colors are alike — Reinhardt said, “There is a black which is old and a black which is fresh. Lustrous black and dull black, black in sunlight and black in shadow.” In 2016, the Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor provoked the fury of artists by securing the exclusive rights to use the blackest black color, known as Vantablack. Kapoor has been experimenting with the “super black” paint since 2014 and recently announced he will unveil a series of his first Vantablack sculptures during the Venice Biennale. Liberal and the radical idea of […]
