The sound of colors is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with base notes, or dark lake with the treble. — Wassily Kandinsky
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of people who hear colours but I like the way this quote puts it in musical terms. I can relate to that and it’s true.
I liked that too. I’m not very musical, but the associations made sense to me. My son has a friend with this manifestation of synesthesia. They’ve made music together and the boy-child really enjoyed the experience.
That is an interesting quotation. I like when people think outside the prescribed descriptions of the world. A dark lake played on a bass note, it just brings a sound and a moment to life in the mind. I can picture it clearly, but couldn’t express it half so well myself. Ahh, to practice creativity for NaNoWriMo which is starting soon. Hopefully I can plumb some unknown depths?
It is. I remember reading how doctors and hospitals choose certain colors in their offices and spaces that are most restful. And how some universities paint the visiting team locker rooms pink to make the team feel weaker (sexist assumptions, of course).
Here’s an abstract of her article: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl/vol14/iss1/2/ She had made statements about the homophobia and sexism behind the choice to paint the locker room pink—that pink signified something feminine and thus something weaker—and she (my former colleague) was bombarded with hate mail for daring to criticize the school and its athletic department and particularly its beloved football team. It’s a really interesting article. I can’t do justice to it here, but it’s well-written and better than the abstract!
Thanks so much for the link Amy. It looks like she is tackling issues that really, really need to be addressed. Horrible that she has had to endure personal attacks though. But sadly, not surprising.
Here’s a good quote from Erin about her legal theory:
Erin Buzuvis, the director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Studies at Western New England University, said that the locker room is at odds with Title IX [US statute that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions], but that a lawsuit could be difficult to win.
“Title IX’s application to athletics is aimed at equalizing the treatment of female athletes as well as their opportunities to play,” Buzuvis said. “If you accept that using pink in the visitors’ locker room operates a symbolic gesture of emasculation towards the team’s opponents, the pink locker room certainly represents a form of unequal treatment, since the symbolism trades on pink’s association with women and stereotypes about women’s inferior athleticism.”
I’ve heard that too. And I wonder how much popular culture shapes the meanings and associations we have with things, like how soundtracks are designed to cue certain expectations and emotions in audiences because we understand their language. I don’t know how much of our understanding is due to the structure of music, and how much is recognition of patterns and associating them with other films we’ve seen. … if that makes any sense.
It does make sense! I think it’s a very complex sort of web that intertwines and connects each of the different art media and influences their making and reception, especially nowadays where a song or video is just a mouse click away and we have so much information right at the tips of our fingers.
Zimmerbitch 
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of people who hear colours but I like the way this quote puts it in musical terms. I can relate to that and it’s true.
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I liked that too. I’m not very musical, but the associations made sense to me. My son has a friend with this manifestation of synesthesia. They’ve made music together and the boy-child really enjoyed the experience.
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oh, I love this connection
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Brillant – as a singer I can only agree. My music has colours and my colours often come across as very musical! Thank you 🎵🖌🎶✒
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That is an interesting quotation. I like when people think outside the prescribed descriptions of the world. A dark lake played on a bass note, it just brings a sound and a moment to life in the mind. I can picture it clearly, but couldn’t express it half so well myself. Ahh, to practice creativity for NaNoWriMo which is starting soon. Hopefully I can plumb some unknown depths?
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I loved it for the same reasons. Hope you enjoy NaNoWriMo 😀
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Beautiful sound of colors image, love the quote!
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Thanks Amy: I love the quote too.
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I like this. I am not musical in the slightest, but this makes so much sense.
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That’s how I felt too.
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Is “Lake” a color?
I also associate colors with tastes, but mostly based on foods of that color.
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I assumed it meant “a dark lake” rather than the name of a colour. Now you’ve got me wondering!
Colour psychology is fascinating — especially when you start to look at food manufacturing and packaging.
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It is. I remember reading how doctors and hospitals choose certain colors in their offices and spaces that are most restful. And how some universities paint the visiting team locker rooms pink to make the team feel weaker (sexist assumptions, of course).
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Wow. University sport is not nearly so cutthroat (or perhaps important) here. So sexist as you say.
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I had a colleague who wrote an entire article about this for a law journal…
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Fascinating. What was the legal aspect — creating psychological disadvantage?
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Here’s an abstract of her article: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl/vol14/iss1/2/ She had made statements about the homophobia and sexism behind the choice to paint the locker room pink—that pink signified something feminine and thus something weaker—and she (my former colleague) was bombarded with hate mail for daring to criticize the school and its athletic department and particularly its beloved football team. It’s a really interesting article. I can’t do justice to it here, but it’s well-written and better than the abstract!
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Thanks so much for the link Amy. It looks like she is tackling issues that really, really need to be addressed. Horrible that she has had to endure personal attacks though. But sadly, not surprising.
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She’s quite remarkable. She has become a nationally known speaker on sports and gender issues.
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Here’s a good quote from Erin about her legal theory:
Erin Buzuvis, the director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Studies at Western New England University, said that the locker room is at odds with Title IX [US statute that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions], but that a lawsuit could be difficult to win.
“Title IX’s application to athletics is aimed at equalizing the treatment of female athletes as well as their opportunities to play,” Buzuvis said. “If you accept that using pink in the visitors’ locker room operates a symbolic gesture of emasculation towards the team’s opponents, the pink locker room certainly represents a form of unequal treatment, since the symbolism trades on pink’s association with women and stereotypes about women’s inferior athleticism.”
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Thank you. She is right of course. Our verbal and visual languages are so full of implied sexism.
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I’ve heard that LSD can make you hear colours and see music. 😉
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I’ve heard that too. And I wonder how much popular culture shapes the meanings and associations we have with things, like how soundtracks are designed to cue certain expectations and emotions in audiences because we understand their language. I don’t know how much of our understanding is due to the structure of music, and how much is recognition of patterns and associating them with other films we’ve seen. … if that makes any sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does make sense! I think it’s a very complex sort of web that intertwines and connects each of the different art media and influences their making and reception, especially nowadays where a song or video is just a mouse click away and we have so much information right at the tips of our fingers.
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That is so true.
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I know exactly what he means, but wouldn’t have come up with the explanation myself in a million years!
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That’s how I feel too 😁
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