//Chromatext\\
Since 2009 I have been creating "code languages" derived by altering various communication sources used in transportation, navigation and technology. Some original sources have been Atlases, airplane flight paths, maps and the International Code Signals for All Nations. This reworking and interpreting is rooted in my fascination of language and the multiple meanings of words. But more importantly, I am interested in the political ramifications of covert communication and the social implications (and perhaps indebtedness) of honesty.
In late 2011 I created Chromatext*, an alphabet code that replaces text with color. I extensively researched the history of color names and studied alphabetized lists of colors, such as Pantone color names, house paint brands and the Plochere Color System, (developed in 1948 for industrial designers in order to create a standardization that facilitated cross pollination of products based on color).
I ultimately chose to use digital Hex code language for its flexibility to accurately represent each color both on screen, for print materials or paint; Chromatext is written in English.
Since 2009 I have been creating "code languages" derived by altering various communication sources used in transportation, navigation and technology. Some original sources have been Atlases, airplane flight paths, maps and the International Code Signals for All Nations. This reworking and interpreting is rooted in my fascination of language and the multiple meanings of words. But more importantly, I am interested in the political ramifications of covert communication and the social implications (and perhaps indebtedness) of honesty.
In late 2011 I created Chromatext*, an alphabet code that replaces text with color. I extensively researched the history of color names and studied alphabetized lists of colors, such as Pantone color names, house paint brands and the Plochere Color System, (developed in 1948 for industrial designers in order to create a standardization that facilitated cross pollination of products based on color).
I ultimately chose to use digital Hex code language for its flexibility to accurately represent each color both on screen, for print materials or paint; Chromatext is written in English.
Each color was chosen by a two-fold process: 1. the first letter of the color is the same as the letter of the alphabet, such as A is Aquamarine, B is Black and so on; 2. the color's name must be the name of a color by its first or second definition. For example, Lemon was not a viable option for assigning a color to the letter L, because a lemon is defined as a fruit, and then a tree and lastly a thing (such as a car of unsatisfactory capabilities) before it is defined as a color: "lemon yellow." Some letters posed problems, such as D, as most colors use D to denote an adjective, such as Dark Green or a noun to describe a color, such as Dirt or Deer. For D I chose Dark Goldenrod, which is a color that was missing in the spectrum as I was developing it. If more than one color name fulfilled both rules to the selection process, I chose one for aesthetic reasons.
Luckily, since Hex is a language also, HTML linguistic geeks were thoughtful enough to include X (Xanadu, a lovely greyish green) and Z (Zaffre, a vivid purplish blue). There are new lists of colors now (2015), so the Chromatext might get rewritten with new color selections to improve it. The series is used in digital forms, such as images, slideshows and film, in tangible forms such as prints on paper and books, and I also transliterated it into house paint. To do that, I matched each CYMK accurately printed color with paint chip shades to find the closest matches. These paints have been used in sculpture, textiles, murals and painted scrolls to convey meaning through form and materiality.
Projects using Chromatext (click images to go to page):
Luckily, since Hex is a language also, HTML linguistic geeks were thoughtful enough to include X (Xanadu, a lovely greyish green) and Z (Zaffre, a vivid purplish blue). There are new lists of colors now (2015), so the Chromatext might get rewritten with new color selections to improve it. The series is used in digital forms, such as images, slideshows and film, in tangible forms such as prints on paper and books, and I also transliterated it into house paint. To do that, I matched each CYMK accurately printed color with paint chip shades to find the closest matches. These paints have been used in sculpture, textiles, murals and painted scrolls to convey meaning through form and materiality.
Projects using Chromatext (click images to go to page):
Chromatext prints and clothing
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a polite conversation
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anthem
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Between Dystopia and Greener Pastures
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Garment for Us
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promise (we had a "thing")
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*Chromatext contains specific intellectual property, 2011.