ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Alex Stewart
Question/Issue
What is the relationship between color and emotion, and how does it change based on different perspectives?
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History & Distinction
Artist CJ Hendry did most of her pieces in black ink pen until she created two exhibitions focused on color. While her earlier black and white pieces allowed the subject to be the focus, the removal of color also meant the removal of emotion (Kinsella, 2018).
This idea is portrayed in a study by Hemphill in 1996. He found that brighter colors received more positive responses, and darker colors received more negative responses from college students. They found that their responses often depended on each individual’s personal experience. They also found a difference in responses based on gender, with men responding more positively to darker colors than women (Hemphill, 1996).
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Approach
I conducted a survey to understand people’s emotional responses to color. After receiving about 40 responses, I created six monochromatic portraits in three colors based on the results. My project attempts to understand the similarities and differences in people’s emotional responses in order to convey contrasting perspectives and the significance of color.
Audience & Impact
My audience is primarily college students (particularly UMD students). They made up almost all of my survey responses, and they will be the ones to see the results.
I want them to understand the significant role that color plays in our lives. Hopefully, they will learn how/why people's emotional responses to color differ.
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References
Hemphill, M. (1996). A note on adults’ color–emotion associations. The Journal of Genetic
Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development, 157(3), 275–280.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.1996.9914865
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Kinsella, E. (2018, April 5). This Artist's 'Kitsch and Colorful' Rainbow House Is Taking Brooklyn by Storm. Retrieved from https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/cj-hendry-monochrome-pop-up-1260413
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Acknowledgements
First, I would like to thank everyone who filled out my survey because this project would not have been successful without them. I would also like to think my advisor, Heather Bremenstuhl, who helped me plan and complete this project. Finally, I would like to thank my friends for volunteering to be the subjects of my portraits and supporting me in my work.
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