BLUE

in...

OBJECTS

SIGNS

AIR

SPACE

WATER

EVOLUTION OF BLUE

The Egyptians loved the precious stones lapis and turquoise so much that they invented the first synthetic blue pigment in order to affordably copy their unique color. “Egyptian blue” was made by mixing silica, lime, copper, and alkali, and it could be used on stone, wood, plaster, papyrus and canvas. The many decorative objects that have survived until today attest to the presence of blue in Egyptian life. In Early Modern Europe, blue textile dye was made from woad, a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. During the Middle Ages, the cultivation of woad in England, France, and Germany helped many towns and regions become extraordinarily rich. However, because the dye was expensive to produce and not steadfast, it was used by the wealthy and became associated with nobility. The working class wore brown and green while the Kings wore blue.

Dark blue: trust, dignity, intelligence, authority Bright blue: cleanliness, strength, dependability, coolness (The origin of these meanings arise from the qualities of the ocean and inland waters, most of which are more tangible.) Light (sky) blue: peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual, infinity (The origin of these meanings is the intangible aspects of the sky.) Most blues convey a sense of trust, loyalty, cleanliness, and understanding. On the other hand, blue evolved as symbol of depression in American culture. “Singing the blues” and feeling blue” are good examples of the complexity of color symbolism and how it has been evolved in different cultures.

The sky is blue not because the atmosphere absorbs the other colors, but because the atmosphere tends to scatter shorter wavelength (blue) light to a greater extent than longer wavelength (red) light. Blue light from the sun is scattered every which way, much more so than the other colors, so when you look up at the daytime sky you see blue no matter where you look. This scattering is called 'Rayleigh scattering'; the amount of scattering goes as the frequency of the light to the 4th power.

Blue wasn’t only an expensive textile dye, it was also an extremely expensive pigment for painters (more on that to come...). Because of its cost, it was only used for the most important subjects. In the Renaissance, nobody was more important than the Virgin Mary. Because she was almost always painted wearing blue, the color became synonymous with purity, humility, and the divine.

Jean fabric was first produced in Genoa, Italy in the 17th century; the French city of Nimes copied the technique shortly after (‘de Nimes’...aka ‘denim’). The cotton twill fabric, dyed with indigo, was sturdy and washable, making it perfect for workers. Today blue textile dyes and pigments are mainly synthetic, but the color still holds the same powerful symbolism as it did when it was a rare and costly shade. Flags, sports teams, and uniforms often use blue to symbolize unity and power. But the color is also ambiguous: “to feel blue” denotes sadness, while “blue skies” are equated with optimism and happiness.What does blue mean to you?