Palette : nuances

natural, white, ivory, grey, chestnut, tamarind, black

Historians and Theorists of color have argued for years over whether black and white are colors or shades of colors. The reason for this is because of how our eyes and minds process light. You cannot create white by combining colors, and black is the opposite- only created by combining colors. When speaking of black visually it is created by the absolute absence of light. In 1946, a radical exhibition took place in Paris called “Black Is a Color” intended to shock, and it did, as this was the opposite of what was taught in art school. A few notes on each below, my intention is to leave you with this thought: white and black are both an expression of light whether in its infinite purest form or its mysterious absence. 
 
White - "for all these accumulated associations, with whatever is sweet, and honorable, and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue, which strikes more of a panic to the soul than that redness which affrights in blood” Herman Melville, Moby Dick. White, the purest form of light and color that the human eye can see, also the most difficult color to create. White has forever been connected with money and power, as fabrics have to be heavily processed in order to appear white. Throughout history, only the wealthy could afford to buy, wear and maintain white clothing. 
 
Black – Often associated with both beginnings and endings, black has a history that is incredibly intriguing. As a color, black is only created by mixing colors together, and only seen by our eye because very little of the color spectrum in the mix is reflected. Black is considered complicated because it is a difficult color to process. I love the mystery that black reflects (or technically doesn’t reflect); instead you see the shape of black. “Like the dark obsidian mirror that once belonged to Dr. Dee, look into black and you never know what might look back.” Kassia St. Clair

Follow along as we share more of this palette's objective on Instagram alongside inspirational imagery of the work by one of the greatest weavers and textile designers of all time, Anni Albers. A rebel woman who transformed the way we view textiles as art and a Bauhaus Master.