colour

Colour explores the implications, history and cultural meaning of colour with the aim of inspiring readers to make creative choices.There are chapters on individual colours, their story and their influence.

Colour is intrinsically linked to how we make sense of the world. It affects our mood, our emotions, which in turn affect our decisions. It can be used to create or gauge a mood and has the power to transform, often subliminally. It contains memories, fades and evokes the past. Used differently culturally it holds traditions together. Think of the reactions to a white flag of surrender or indeed any flag if you're in any doubt.

Lyrically written and thoughtfully photographed joyous Indian colour and the way they naturally put it together was the catalyst for the idea behind the book. Inspiration is everywhere in India - building exteriors, the layers worn by road and field workers, markets and textiles. The 304 pages include nine additional countries as well – Ethiopia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Syria, Iran, Spain, France and Australia.

Colour enriches our lives, can be comforting, or arouse us. We summarise ourselves in our appearance and make simple subliminal choices involving colour constantly, from the colour we write with, our toothbrush or our mug without giving it much thought, yet it has a subtle and meaningful affect on us. Colour speaks to all of us all the time with its silent language yet is so often taken for granted, forgotten. It's freely available, constant, and powerful - tells us when food is ripe, plants are suffering, or when it's going to rain and so much more.

We all use it in our own unique way; it's a part of what makes us individual. Its tones can be as stimulating or as dull as you make them. It's all about combinations and placement. Without it there would be no art, uniforms would not exist, and we would lack a means of self-expression.

Colour is interspersed with poignant reminders on how to use colour to transform your mood and brighten your life.

Designed to feel like an artists diary, it has an elastic close.

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‘The photography style is subdued and soft . . . Victoria manages to do an amazing job and some of the moments she captures are wonderful. Not to mention the fact that her palette is impeccable – she finds blocks of colours with an ease most people would struggle with . . . There is a wide scope of countries that are featured and it is quiet a compact book, so you don’t feel like after one sitting you have seen everything that it has to offer. One that you would return to over and over again.’ These gorgeous things

Murdoch Books

First edition: 2012
ISBN: 1743361882
Reprinted: 2015
ISBN: 9781743361887