Colour as Mediator: Perception, Materiality, and Technology in Contemporary Visual Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23738/180112Keywords:
Color, Perception, Design, Heritage, CMF, Digital methods, Visual CultureAbstract
This article develops a theoretical-critical synthesis of contemporary colour research by framing colour as a multifaceted object that operates simultaneously as a perceptual variable, a cultural code, a chromo-material strategy, and a technological-epistemic construct. Rather than offering a venue-specific review, the paper proposes an integrative framework that bridges design, heritage, digital systems, and sustainability. Four thematic axes are discussed: (i) colour and perception; (ii) colour as code; (iii) colour, material, and sustainability; and (iv) colour as evidence and optimisation target in heritage and digital workflows. Across these axes, the paper identifies recurring tensions between standardisation and plurality, measurement and meaning, fidelity and interpretation, and efficiency and care. The argument advanced is that colour today should be understood not as a secondary attribute but as a critical mediator of perception, culture, ethics, and technology.
References
Ahmedhodzic, E., Sarti, B. and Trentini, A.M. (2025) ‘Monitoring colour usage in Italian municipal web interfaces’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Arnheim, R. (1974) Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Ashby, M. and Johnson, K. (2014) Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design. 3rd edn. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Azevedo, F. (2018) A linguagem das cores na psicologia analítica [The Language of Colors in Analytical Psychology]. Petrópolis: Vozes.
Bertoletti, P. and Rossi, M. (2025) ‘Light and color in low-arousal design: A review towards inclusive sensory environments for neurodiversity’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Bocken, N.M.P., de Pauw, I., Bakker, C. and van der Grinten, B. (2016) ‘Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy’, Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, 33(5), pp. 308–320, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2016.1172124
Boyce, P. (2010) Lighting for Driving: Roads, Vehicles, Signs, and Signals. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Calisi, D. and Botta, S. (2025) ‘The illusion of color: The chromatic interactions of Josef Albers in 3D spaces’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Calvo Ivanovic, I. and D’Itria, E. (2025) ‘Chromatic imperfection: Reimagining colour as a catalyst for sustainable fashion design’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Caruso, I., Parlato, S. and Sarno, I. (2025) ‘Marbled is the new green. Polymeric polychromy as a contemporary code of sustainability’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Fletcher, K. (2014) Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.
Fossati, G. (2009) From Grain to Pixel: The Archival Life of Film in Transition. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Heller, S. and Vienne, V. (2012) 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design. London: Laurence King.
Ingold, T. (2011) Being Alive: Essays on Movement, Knowledge and Description. London: Routledge.
Karana, E., Pedgley, O. and Rognoli, V. (2015) Materials Experience: Fundamentals of Materials and Design. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Karana, E., Barati, B., Rognoli, V. and van der Laan, A. (2018) ‘Material driven design (MDD): A method to design for material experiences’, International Journal of Design, 12(2), pp. 35–54.
Koffka, K. (1935) Principles of Gestalt Psychology. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.
Kress, G. and van Leeuwen, T. (2002) Colour as a Semiotic Mode: Notes for a Grammar of Colour. Visual Communication, 1(3), pp. 343–368.
Küller, R., Ballal, S., Laike, T., Mikellides, B. and Tonello, G. (2006) ‘The impact of light and colour on psychological mood: a cross-cultural study of indoor work environments’, Ergonomics, 49(14), pp. 1496–1507, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130600858142
Manning, C., Williams, J. and MacLennan, H. (2023) Sensory-inclusive spaces for autistic people: We need to build the evidence base. Autism, 27(6), 1511-1515, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231183
Manzini, E. (2015) Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Meggs, P.B. and Purvis, A.W. (2016) Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. 6th edn. Hoboken: Wiley.
Mostafa, M. (2015) ‘An architecture for autism: Concepts of design intervention for the autistic user’, International Journal of Architectural Research, 8(1), pp. 143–158.
Mugge, R., Schoormans, J.P.L. and Schifferstein, H.N.J. (2005) ‘Design strategies to postpone consumers’ product replacement: The value of a strong person–product relationship’, The Design Journal, 8(2), pp. 38–48, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2752/146069205789331637
Nair, A.S. et al. (2022) ‘A case study on the effect of light and colors in the built environment on autistic children’s behavior’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1042641, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1042641
Niinimäki, K. (2015) Sustainable Fashion in a Circular Economy. Helsinki: Aalto ARTS Books.
Pedrosa, I. (2014) Da cor à cor inexistente [From Color to the Nonexistent Color]. 10th edn. Rio de Janeiro: Senac Nacional.
Read, P. and Meyer, M. (2000) Restoration of Motion Picture Film. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Rizzi, A., Gatta, C. and Marini, D. (2009) ‘A new algorithm for unsupervised global and local color correction’, Pattern Recognition Letters, 30(10), pp. 984–995, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8655(02)00323-9
Rossetto, V. (2025) ‘Film laboratory manuals as sources for the reconstruction of colour in silent film restoration’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Rossi, M. (2019) ‘Evaluation of Artificial Light with Respect to Human Health’, in M.
Rossi (ed.) Circadian Lighting Design in the LED Era. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 57–100. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11087-1_3.
Rossi, M. (2021) ‘Colour design and non‐image‐forming effects in humans: An open issue’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/cote.12501.
Scalzo, M. (2025) ‘The black background in advertising posters: Some examples from the early decades of the 20th century’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Sossini, L., Calvo Ivanovic, I. and Del Curto, B. (2025) ‘A review on Colour, Material and Finish Design: Meaning, state of the art and research perspective’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Spennato, A. and Battisti, J. (2025) ‘From functionalism to eclecticism: The impact of design movements on colour’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Vanoglio, G. and Rizzi, A. (2025) ‘An unsupervised method to increase film color restoration sustainability for small cinematheques’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Vilas Bôas, J.E. and Barros de Held, M.S. (2025) ‘Chromatic analysis of the collective unconscious: Analytical psychology applied to the art of Antônio Bandeira’, Color Culture and Science Journal, 18(1).
Westland, S., Pan, Q. and Lee, S. (2017) ‘A review of the effects of colour and light on non-image function in humans’, Coloration Technology, 133(5), pp. 349–361. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/cote.12289,
Wlassikoff, M. (2008) Histoire du graphisme en France. Paris: Les Arts Décoratifs.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Alice Plutino
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The "Cultura e Scienza del Colore - Color Culture and Science" journal is registered at the Court of Milan at n.233 of 24.06.2014.
The journal is a diamond open access journal, free for readers and authors and has joined ROAD, the Directory of Open Access scholarly Resources, since 2014. Articles published in the “Cultura e Scienza del Colore - Color Culture and Science" journal are open access articles, distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The copyright is retained by the author(s).
