Comments on: What is the Meaning of Color? http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/ trying to nail down the shifting signifiers Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:53:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Anthony Velez http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/comment-page-1/#comment-2668 Anthony Velez Tue, 07 Aug 2007 23:34:14 +0000 http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/#comment-2668 Kevin, Thanks for drawing attention to this song. I have long been a Rich Mullins fan and I am familiar with this song. I would hope that the Spirit that inspired me to write my post and the Spirit that inspired Rich's song are one an the same. As I was putting my post together, it struck me that I am essentially talking about nature as a whole. I decided, however, to focus on color as it seemed more provocative and it was that aspect of nature that really caught my attention. I am starting to think that all humans have had some kind of sublime experience (an experience of awe and wonder regarding creation) but that many dismantle the significance of this experience by chalking it up to subjective/anthropomorphic projections that have nothing to do with innate structure of "reality". I also think that perhaps people do this because of some kind of fear and/or pride. It's like Jesus said, if you would see the Kingdom of Heaven, you must become a child. Kevin, Thanks for drawing attention to this song. I have long been a Rich Mullins fan and I am familiar with this song. I would hope that the Spirit that inspired me to write my post and the Spirit that inspired Rich’s song are one an the same.

As I was putting my post together, it struck me that I am essentially talking about nature as a whole. I decided, however, to focus on color as it seemed more provocative and it was that aspect of nature that really caught my attention.

I am starting to think that all humans have had some kind of sublime experience (an experience of awe and wonder regarding creation) but that many dismantle the significance of this experience by chalking it up to subjective/anthropomorphic projections that have nothing to do with innate structure of “reality”. I also think that perhaps people do this because of some kind of fear and/or pride. It’s like Jesus said, if you would see the Kingdom of Heaven, you must become a child.

]]> By: Kevin Benson http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/comment-page-1/#comment-2667 Kevin Benson Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:10:58 +0000 http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/#comment-2667 Rich Mullins has a song - The Color Green - which captures the experience you describe, especially in the video. The refrain is: Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise The idea of nature itself filling the universe with praise of its creator is compelling. I remember growing up and riding with my mom out to our house in the country in the springtime. Every trip we made she would wax poetic about the green grass on the hills, the orchards in multi-hued bloom, and the fields of yellow mustard stretching into the distance. As a teenager, I was not impressed. As an adult, however, I find myself struck by the beauty I missed back then, and it does well up in me an appreciation and greater intimacy with our creator. This statement is still too me-centric, for the creation would still proclaim its praise ('"the rocks will cry out") regardless of my opinion or acknowledgement Rich Mullins has a song - The Color Green - which captures the experience you describe, especially in the video. The refrain is:

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

The idea of nature itself filling the universe with praise of its creator is compelling. I remember growing up and riding with my mom out to our house in the country in the springtime. Every trip we made she would wax poetic about the green grass on the hills, the orchards in multi-hued bloom, and the fields of yellow mustard stretching into the distance. As a teenager, I was not impressed. As an adult, however, I find myself struck by the beauty I missed back then, and it does well up in me an appreciation and greater intimacy with our creator. This statement is still too me-centric, for the creation would still proclaim its praise (’”the rocks will cry out”) regardless of my opinion or acknowledgement

]]> By: Anthony Velez http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/comment-page-1/#comment-2655 Anthony Velez Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:29:11 +0000 http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/#comment-2655 Roger, The whole question of meaning is a complex matter that I will be contemplating and working out for the rest of my life, and so I am sure that in light of this, my post is somewhat simplistic. However, to give more background, I will say that this post was written in part as a response to the modern/postmodern notion that there is no true connection between human knowledge (perception, values, meaning) and the nature of things as they are in themselves. Actually, I wrote a post titled "The Gallery of Truth" where I took a crack at the tension that exists between subjectivity and objectivity in the search for Truth. Anyways, when it comes to delineating how the mind structures our experience and thereby constructs our sense of the world, I am aware that in many ways we are locked in subjectivity, and that our values and our sense of meaning is relative. However, working out of the presupposition that God does exist and that he is good, it struck me that perhaps our very subjective responses of delight in color (or any other sensory experience) could be interpreted as an expression of God's goodness, even if we all are uniquely finding it in our own ways. And so, yes!! I do think that our constructions are a part of God's creation, that he made us to make meaning and create values. However, I think that there is a boundary in which these creative capacities of ours should operate, which is within the light and knowledge of God's goodness and grace. Roger, The whole question of meaning is a complex matter that I will be contemplating and working out for the rest of my life, and so I am sure that in light of this, my post is somewhat simplistic. However, to give more background, I will say that this post was written in part as a response to the modern/postmodern notion that there is no true connection between human knowledge (perception, values, meaning) and the nature of things as they are in themselves. Actually, I wrote a post titled “The Gallery of Truth” where I took a crack at the tension that exists between subjectivity and objectivity in the search for Truth. Anyways, when it comes to delineating how the mind structures our experience and thereby constructs our sense of the world, I am aware that in many ways we are locked in subjectivity, and that our values and our sense of meaning is relative. However, working out of the presupposition that God does exist and that he is good, it struck me that perhaps our very subjective responses of delight in color (or any other sensory experience) could be interpreted as an expression of God’s goodness, even if we all are uniquely finding it in our own ways. And so, yes!! I do think that our constructions are a part of God’s creation, that he made us to make meaning and create values. However, I think that there is a boundary in which these creative capacities of ours should operate, which is within the light and knowledge of God’s goodness and grace.

]]> By: ROG http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/comment-page-1/#comment-2654 ROG Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:38:20 +0000 http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/#comment-2654 I understand - I think. Still, a lot of our perception of color, though, IS infused with our definition. Red for boys and blue for girls was the way it was in the beginning of the 20th C., e.g., but then it switched. But if we're God's creation, then is human values/constructs also valid as well? I understand - I think. Still, a lot of our perception of color, though, IS infused with our definition. Red for boys and blue for girls was the way it was in the beginning of the 20th C., e.g., but then it switched. But if we’re God’s creation, then is human values/constructs also valid as well?

]]> By: Anthony Velez http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/comment-page-1/#comment-2651 Anthony Velez Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:04:31 +0000 http://www.thedarkglass.net/2007/07/25/what-is-the-meaning-of-color/#comment-2651 Since I wanted to keep this post from being to technical, I opted to confess here a contingency that I withheld while composing it, and that is that the presupposition underlying this post is that there is a personal creator God. If someone denies this presupposition then of course color has no metaphysical meaning. However, with this denial all intrisic/metaphyical meaning is lost as well. This only leaves social and personal constructions of meaning. If this is where you come from, I would still say exercise your imagination and give this childlike approach a try as you may find yourself connecting to something that is beyond comprehension but yet becomes very real to you. Since I wanted to keep this post from being to technical, I opted to confess here a contingency that I withheld while composing it, and that is that the presupposition underlying this post is that there is a personal creator God. If someone denies this presupposition then of course color has no metaphysical meaning. However, with this denial all intrisic/metaphyical meaning is lost as well. This only leaves social and personal constructions of meaning. If this is where you come from, I would still say exercise your imagination and give this childlike approach a try as you may find yourself connecting to something that is beyond comprehension but yet becomes very real to you.

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