This piece by Ryodi Ikeda : point of no return, a pulsating stroboscopic sound and light installation, appears to be monochrome. However images captured digitally reveal a more nuanced colour spectrum.
It is suggested that the human eye is capable of perceiving between 2 and 3 million colours, whereas birds, butterflies, fish and bees can see many more. Jennings explains that this is related to a difference in number of photoreceptors or cones. Humans with three cones are trichchromats whereas the birds and bees have four and are tetrachromats. Research on gender differences colour perception suggests that some women may also be tetrachromats. When contemplating the significant variety in our environments its intriguing to imagine what else might exist beyond our perception.
Much is said about the beauty inherent in nature. Having lived in an inner city environment for decades – a chance to live next to fields and gardens brings a constantly changing visual feast of growth and freshly blooming flowers. Although fleeting – the colour, the variety, the growth are qualities that are part of the pleasurable experience. As Neutra (Survival Through Design ) has observed, nature may often be a source of inspiration for designers, but in nature the appearance, its ‘beauty’ is indivisible from its structure and function rather than an additional surface level decoration. The form and appearance develop simultaneously as the plant grows.
I know what I like 