“The education of colour” was the focus of International Colour Day celebrations held at Federation Square Thursday 21 March.
Officials and members from the Colour Society of Australia set up a display area from 9 am to offer information to the public.
The Victorian Division of the society worked on behalf of the Association Internationale de la Couleur to organise the marquee in the Flinders St Amphitheatre.
Colour Society Treasurer and division chairman Derek Grantham said he hoped the event would raise awareness as to the importance of colour in modern life.
Mr Grantham said “we tend to forget about it, because it’s always there”.
Colour for the everyday human
Mr Grantham said colour has many new applications in hand-held technology.
“If you’re not carrying colour around with you in some shape or form, it’s quite unusual,’ he said.
“It’s on any communication device you care to name.”
AIC studies into technology and colour suggest that digitally producing images has made creating and using colour simple.
Mr Grantham said a “thorough appreciation of colour” in new media is essential.
He also said technology has changed the way youth appreciate and use colour.
Colour for the youth
Mr Grantham said technology and new media has made colour common for teenagers and young adults, but more needs to be done to educate about its meaning.
“The fascination with colour has got to be encouraged in young people,” he said.
Colour in education
Mr Grantham said there was a tendency for universities and TAFE schools to “cut out a few hours of teaching and training” in colour.
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work.”
RMIT University Arts program director Dr Shane Hulbert said colour is “fundamental” to a “range of different areas of practice”.
Dr Hulbert said he teaches a course “which predominantly looks at the management of colour in digital imaging”.
He said that colour is a “critical component of how we see the world”.
“Colour forms a very integral part of what we do.”
International Colour Day is an initiative organised in part by the International Colour Association.
They hold congresses in Sydney regularly to discuss the progress of colour and imagery.
