Ray

Facts and thoughts about colors in science, environment and art.

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Color is life; for a world without color appears to us as dead… Colors are the children of light, and light is their mother

Johannes Itten 

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Longitudinal section through the center of the optic nerve. The human eye design is far from an idealistic creation that would be modelled by a higher being. Its current state is rather a pragmatic chain of small adjustments over all the previous designs and their flaws. A complex outcome of gradual improvements throughout the human evolution.

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By copying and advancing the principles left from the previous generation of masters, European artists learned the ideas of contour, texture, light and shade.

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In 1710, Jacob Christoph Le Blon [painter from Frankfurt 1667 – 1741 ] successfully applied a three-color printing method. His vast research and practical executions were improved upon in modern color printing, media, interior and industrial design.

The number of people educated in colors and their possible implications grew at a rapid pace. This attracted many researchers to the field and saw the beginning of scientific developments that later visually shaped our future.

Parallel advancements in chemistry gradually allowed us to control the hue of colors by printing the paint in three layers, thus making it more efficient.

The three layer printing was very easy to recreate and so its potential remained unnoticed for a very short time. The idea was that Cyan, Magenta and Yellow [CMY] were used as the primary pigments, which were pressed over a Black key plate [K] to control the shade of what was printed.

The whole sequence [CMYK] opened a wide window of opportunities for the press mass-production to begin. This method remained dominant throughout the flood of printed content.

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In 1704, the essence of this incredible research was published in Newton’s book “Opticks”. A piece of work defining the key principles in our model of light. Newton later became the inspiration for a series of further scientific advancements in the field of colors that led to numerous breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, engineering and physiology.

With the coming of the digital era and the ambition of people to move forward, many new answers were found in Newton’s theories. Most notable would be the creation of the additive color system. An achievement holding its impact even to this day.

It became the foundation of our colored screens, which by themselves became a personal and industry standard. With the use of Red, Green and Blue [RGB] rays, a screen pixel was formed.

This allowed us to gain full control over the visualization of colors and lay the foundations for our digital lifestyle.

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How digital colors came to be? A brief look into the history of CMYK and RGB color models.

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Depending on the chemical structure of all surfaces (all the unique materials said surfaces can be made of), light is reflected in its own unique way. Our eyes, on the other hand, are constantly picking up any changes in the reflected light, coming from the objects we focus our attention on.

Our brain can then processes the information collected by the eyes and it all culminates with a coherent image of our surroundings. Or what we call, to see.

The design of the human eye is far from what its idealistic reputation suggests, as if created from a higher being. It is a rather pragmatic chain of small adjustments to all its previous versions. A complex outcome of gradual improvements spread throughout the many years of human evolution.

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Historical discoveries like the documented effects of light led to the shaping of the digital as we currently know it. Of course, any notable discovery stands on the shoulders of a person with extraordinary talent. For color psychology, that was the renowned german poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

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As to what I have done as a poet... I take no pride in it... but that in my century I am the only person who knows the truth in the difficult science of colours—of that, I say, I am not a little proud, and here I have a consciousness of a superiority to many.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Light belongs to the heart and spirit. Light attracts people, it shows the way, and when we see it in the distance, we follow it.

Ricardo Legorreta

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Light and color have a powerful effect on the formation of the physiological status of the human body. This influence, first of all, is mediated by the activity of the autonomic nervous system, its sympathetic and parasympathetic departments. The highlight of the numerous experiments was the identification of a relationship between seeing colors and the hypothalamus, which plays an integral role in the activity of the physiological and mental functions of our organism.

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How do colors affect us? The psychophysiological effects of colors. Light and color have a powerful effect on the formation of the physiological status of the human body. This influence, first of all, is mediated by the activity of the autonomic nervous system, its sympathetic and parasympathetic departments.

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Admiring art is not only an emotional, but an intellectual experience as well. For those who like to intrigue their eyes, the third volume of Ray is an interdisciplinary exhibition of truly influential #visual content. These real cases are for you to better understand how powerful colors truly are.

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What we see each day deeply affects our personal lives. The second volume represents a stepping stone towards empowerment of your mentality through the fundamentals of psychology. To question the uncertain and evolve.

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Ray is a unique network of topics that examines the nature of colors from three distinct points of view. The first volume, Color, observes colors from their physical side. The second volume, Psychology, represents the fundamentals of how our mentality reacts to the surroundings. The third and final volume, Palette, examines real world examples of influential art.