Movie Stills: The Machinist

These stills are from 2004's twist-ending, eye candy thriller The Machinist, directed by Brad Anderson. I chose to show these still because this film is highly stylized and totally gorgeous. These still are from separate scenes yet the color schemes are identical. All throughout the film, the colors don't waver yet the look isn't black and white. The dark pastel family is perfect for the dark subject matter portrayed in the film. Although relying mainly on values and shadows, the sophistication of the (award-winning) cinematography isn't compromised.

Full of symbolism, color is certainly employed as a symbol of the protagonist's state of mind. Post-twist, at the end of the film, the colors warm up.

Nils Udo

Nils Udo is a Bavarian nature artist. He uses pieces of nature (twigs, leaves, branches) to create temporary sculptures, and alter color schemes and landscapes. Breaking the monotony of green monochrome, he uses bright, oftentimes contrasting colors to complete his striking pieces. His sense of color allows him to put together impressive compositions and create vibrant gradients.

See more art and read about the artist here: Nils Udo.

Leica Ad

"Pig."

"Frog."

"Robin."

Here's a 2010 ad for a Leica zoom lens. I think the company and the advertisement geniuses were very bold to just feature a full-page color swatch to promote their new product. Their previous ads featured nature photography and in a unique way, they stick to that theme. The zoom is so powerful, you can see nothing but a block of colored molecules, right? Har, we get the gag. Nonetheless, these ads are lovely and are a great use of simple color.

This series is somewhat reminiscent of the Glade campaign.

The Mondrian Algorithm

      

            


Samuel Monnier, Swiss algorithmic artist, creates Mondrian-esque pattern pieces.

          "Through each edge of the tile, there will be a segment of line perpendicular to it. The actual location of the line segment is chosen randomly. Inside the tile, the line segment coming from all four edges are somehow combined to complete the decoration. When they are assembled, an interesting pattern appears."

He is a "layer artist" and takes the Mondrian pattern to new extremes. Check out the intricate use of color! I love how the little bright squares of yellow stipple the bigger dark squares of red and blue.

Artist's website here: http://www.algorithmic-worlds.net/index.php. Lots of awesome artists featured on the website blog!

Gratuitous Pigment

Yellow Tunes

Coldplay - Yellow

Uploaded by Hakunamatata67. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell

Yellow Balloon – Yellow Balloon

Yellow Bandana – Faron Young

Yellow Bird – Arthur Lyman Group

Yellow Bird – Kingston Trio

Yellow Dog Blues – Bessie Smith
Yellow Ledbetter – Pearl Jam
Yellow Ribbon – Johnny Carver
Yellow River – Christie
Yellow Rose – Johnny Lee & Lane Brody
Yellow Rose of Texas – Stan Freberg
Yellow Roses – Dolly Parton

Yellow Polkadot Bikini - Connie Francis 

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John 

Overlooked New York

Overlooked New York: Impassioned New Yorkers from an Artist's Perspective is a collection of interviews and pictorial depictions of various New York residents-- with interesting hobbies. Featured are street musicians, urban gardeners, roller skate dancers and many other fascinating people. The artist is Zina Saunders, who is known for politically-critical subject matter. Taking her keen sense of observation, she turned out an engrossing work detailing the everyman.

Considering Analogous Week, I thought this series was appropriate to feature. In Overlooked, Saunders creates her images with limited palates of related colors. With only subtle hints of contrasting shades, she keeps it predominantly within the family of her main shades. Not only pleasing to the eyes, the interviews are a great read! Check 'em out!

The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman about a woman who descends into madness when she becomes preoccupied with the patterned yellow wallpaper in her room. This work has been classified as Gothic/horror fiction and was published in 1892. I am a huge lover of Victorian fiction, particularly the feminist works coming out at this time. When we studied this story in high school, I couldn't help but associate it with a certain shade of yellow-- the very same Toxic Yellow I chose to explore this semester. How could I not bring up this story?!

In the story, the protagonist is disgusted with the hue. She's repulsed by its "foulness" and as she has olfactory hallucinations, she is disgusted by its "yellow smell." I think it's fascinating that an author called on a color to be the catalyst of action and a vital character in the story. The work realizes the influence of environment and color on the psyche.  

Personally, I absolutely love this color. Although bright, I see it as romantic and sinister. Toxic Yellow has a dark glamor which I find very sexy. I see it as simultaneously repellent and alluring, and there I find the appeal. The same goes for this story. It is disturbing but captivating-so apropos! I hope you will find some time for give it read and add a new dimension to understanding color.

The Yellow Wallpaper

Movie Still: The Red Shoes

This week's still is from The Red Shoes, a 1948 ballet melodrama (full of visual effects, campy overacting and gorgeous color schemes). I like to think of this film in the vein of Sunset Boulevard-- glamorous, overly dramatic, and with an insane leading lady. Considering that much of the film is set on stage, the visual language relies a lot on complimentary color relationships. The sets are predominantly monochromatic, with bright, contrasting spotlights. In the scene above, the main character is before a green backdrop, while her frame is aglow with contrasting orange. The figure to the left reaches out of a yellow-lit doorway.

Dramatic color schemes worked very effectively in this film. There was a lot of passion from the characters and the music, and the light boldly emphasized the drama of both. Although I feel the color choices were obvious, in the context of theater production, they worked perfectly.

Signature Colors

"The basic premise sounds simpler than it is in practice: Pick the right color and really stick with it."
-Secrets of a Signature Color by Michelle Taute

Color is an immensely important aspect of brand identity. It influences our reaction to and memory of products (i.e. blue is least appetizing, beige/yellows are least olfactorily appealing). Using signature colors in advertisement is key to make them a part of the cultural vernacular.

Taking advantage of its successful infiltration of the popular market, KitKat created a clever viral campaign solely by use of its signature color. By showing only the color and not the product, they made a statement not only about their popularity but the influence of strategic use of color.