Color Semiotics of Power Communication

¶ … Color Semiotics of Power

Communication is the most studied science in the world. Whether through writing, speaking, presenting, sign language, music, painting, sculpture and even synchronized swimming, communication is the one science necessary for the comprehension of all other sciences. For instance, what good is Einstein's theory of photoelectricity if it is not communicated properly? Surely, he does not win the Nobel Prize for an idea that no one else is able to understand or implement!

Today, communication theories are most commonly explored in management and leadership treatises: As leaders, how do we motivate our bosses, colleagues and subordinates, and even peers and adversaries to act as we would like them to? To that end, the primary discussion of communication in management theory involves power. Which words, gestures and actions convey a particular set of ideals and ideas that result in a power shift towards the utterer, gesturer or actor?

One of the most theoretical tools to determine the answer to that question is semiotics. The study of signs, signifiers and the signified, semiotics intertwines with color theory to produce two colors that symbolize power more than any others: One, red, is not at all surprising, while the other, yellow, is quite a departure indeed.

Semiotics in Communications Theory

Ferdinand de Saussure, one of the pioneers of semiotics, first made the connection between sign / signifier / signified: "It is... possible to conceive of a science which studies the role of signs as part of social life. It would form part of social psychology, and hence of general psychology. We shall call it semiology (from the Greek seme "on, 'sign'). It would investigate the nature of signs and the laws governing them. Since it does not yet exist, one cannot say for certain that it will exist. But it has a right to exist, a place ready for it in advance. Linguistics is only one branch of this general science. The laws which semiology will discover will be laws applicable in linguistics, and linguistics will thus be assigned to a clearly defined place in the field of human knowledge." (Saussure, 15-16)

Saussure here made a bold step: He linked communication to psychology and sociology, and he understood that communication is not only the science of uttering, it is the science of conveying. Conveying, of course, implies comprehension by at least one other person.

How is semiotics useful? Chandler answers this question quite well: "Semiotics is often employed in the analysis of texts (although it is far more than just a mode of textual analysis). Here it should perhaps be noted that a 'text' can exist in any medium and may be verbal, non-verbal, or both, despite the logocentric bias of this distinction. The term text usually refers to a message which has been recorded in some way (e.g. writing, audio- and video-recording) so that it is physically independent of its sender or receiver. A text is an assemblage of signs (such as words, images, sounds and/or gestures) constructed (and interpreted) with reference to the conventions associated with a genre and in a particular medium of communication." (Chandler, 1)

In semiotics, textual analysis reaches its peak. Authorial intent in all communication is distinguished from the communication itself, and the communication is asked to stand alone.

For instance, as Chandler writes, a text can exist in any medium, whether verbal or non-verbal, and once it has been recorded, it is devoid of any intent infused in it by the "author." For our purposes, the colorer applies color to her painting, presentation, graphics module or sculpture, and she may have intended that color to symbolize either power or lack thereof, or specifically a certain type of power, but her designs over her designs simply matter not. Instead, our own interpretations of her work, our own decisions and inferences regarding her choices of colors are the true indicators of power or a particular type of power in the work.

And indeed, color is worthy of the study of semiotics. Take Saussure's view on linguistics and semiotics, for instance: "Linguistics is only one branch of this general science [of semiology]. The laws which semiology will discover will be laws applicable in linguistics... As far as we are concerned... The linguistic problem is first and foremost semiological... If one wishes to discover the true nature of language systems, one must first consider what they have in common with all other systems of the same kind... In this way, light will be thrown not only upon the linguistic problem. By considering rites, customs etc. As signs, it will be possible, we believe, to see them in a new perspective. The need will be felt to consider them as semiological phenomena and to explain them in terms of the laws of semiology." (Saussure, 16-17)

To paraphrase to draw our link, color is only one branch of the expression and communication of power. The laws which semiotics will discover will be laws applicable to color. As far as we are concerned, the interpretation of colors is first and foremost semiological. If one wishes to discover the true nature of colors and their meanings, especially along the power spectrum, one must first consider what they have in common with all other systems of the same kind (for instance, linguistics). In this way, light will be thrown not only upon the color interpretation spectrum. By considering all appearances of color as signs - not just those in intentional, artistic renderings - it will be possible, we believe, to see them in a new perspective. The need will be felt to consider them as semiological phenomena and to explain them in terms of the laws of semiology.

Color, therefore, substitutes quite nicely for linguistics in semiotics, and indeed in any study or method of communication. Color is, after all, a deliberate form of providing or accenting communication. Colors are often chosen for a reason - to convey power, for instance, to cite the purpose of this essay - or they are chosen quite at random. In the cases in which they are chosen at random, the subconscious implications of color and color choice must indeed be considered, just as the critical interpretations of a subconscious employment of a particular turn of phrase are considered in the semiological study of conventional literature, or written texts.

Colors and Semiotics

Perhaps the seminal text on colors and their relation to semiotics is Umberto Eco's essay "How Culture Conditions the Colours We See." Color is not an easy matter, Eco begins, and he cites James Gibson as saying, in his "The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems," that the meaning of the term or word color is one of the worst confusions in the history of science.

Eco continues to list different cultures and how they categorized color differently (For instance, Egyptians used blue in their paintings but had no linguistic term to designate it, and so on). Eco continues: "All of this is highly speculative, but we need not test every case. Let me concentrate on the following passage from Aulus Gellius. [...] Gellius is reporting a conversation he had with Fronto, a poet and grammarian, and Favorinus, a philosopher. Favorinus remarked that eyes are able to isolate more colours than words can name. Red (rufus) and green (viridis), he said, have only two names but many species. He was, without knowing it, introducing the contemporary scientific distinction between identification (understood as categorization) and discrimination [...]" (Eco)

After having recounted the conversation of these two men, Eco writes that "this puzzle [...] is neither a psychological nor an aesthetic one: it is a cultural one, and as such it is filtered through a linguistic system, through the system of verbal language." (ibid) We must then, Eco concludes, understand how verbal (oral) language makes the non-verbal experience recognizable, communicable (verbally and otherwise) and effable.

This is an intriguing example. First, the colors are present in the world. A particular color is the same everywhere in the world, but different cultures name that color differently (and sometimes even perceive or imagine it differently).

To that end, Eco writes: "When one utters a colour term one is not directly pointing to a state of the world [...], but, on the contrary, one is connecting or correlating that term with a cultural unit or concept. The utterance of the term is determined, obviously, by a given sensation, but the transformation of the sensory stimuli into a percept is in some way determined by the semiotic relationship between the linguistic expression and the meaning or content culturally correlated to it." (ibid)

Eco looks at verbal language for pragmatic reasons. However, he writes that other systems for signifying color would be feasible. Verbal language represents, Eco comments, the most powerful and therefore most familiar instrument humans use for defining their surrounding world and for communicating to one another about that same surrounding world.

After having excused himself for being outrageously simple Eco writes that to make communication possible, one needs a signification system. The content of such a system, Eco continues, depends on our cultural organization of the world into several categories. And this categorization does not necessarily mean the very physical world in which we live:

Euclid's world is not a physical one, but a possible universe organized into points, lines, planes, angles, and so forth. It is a self-sufficient universe in which there are [...] only cultural units such as the concept of similitude and none such as the concept of love or justice. I can communicate about the Euclidian universe, making true or false assertions [...], but the units triangle and line are, in themselves, neither true nor false. They are simply the pertinent or relevant elements of the Euclidean universe. Thus a signification system allows its possible users to isolate and name what is relevant to them from a given point-of-view." (ibid)

With regard to colors and their analysis, Eco argues that this Euclidean world allows a system in which users can isolate and name the color schemas that are infused with meaning and that are worth studying and interpreting.

For instance, as discussed above, some signs are simply false beacons: They are randomly chosen, and yield no interpretive value. That said, there are some signs that are seemingly randomly chosen that do yield interpretive value: These are signs that are chosen based on some subconscious choice, such that the original choice was anything but random at all.

But with regard to the study of colors, only these subconsciously chosen color schemes and, of course, the purposely chosen color schemes yield some benefit to the interpreters.

The semiotics of a use of the color violet in a presentation, for instance, can be discussed when that use was either planned, or subconsciously suggested. If, however, that color violet was chosen by a computer, or because of some extrinsic reason such as, for instance, it was the only color left, or it was the cheapest color to use, interpretation falls entirely flat.

The Semiotics of Varying Colors

Going through the spectrum of colors, let us examine, as a review, the meanings of their uses.

Red:

Red is the color of blood and fire, so it is related to energy, war, strength, danger, power, determination as well as desire, passion and love.

Red is emotionally a very intense color. It increases human metabolism, increases respiration rate and even raises blood pressure. It has an extremely high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually done in red. In the middle ages, red was used to indicate courage. It is, in fact, a color that is found in many national flags.

Red brings words and images and pictures to the foreground. The color red can be used as an accent color to stimulate people to make fast decisions; for instance, it is a very popular color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and Web sites. In the advertising world, red is often used to evoke erotic sensations (red lips, red nails, red-light districts, 'Lady in Red', etc.). Red is also widely utilized to indicate fears or dangers (high voltage signage, traffic signals, etc.). Red also commonly associated with energy, so it is also used while promoting energy drinks, cars, games, and also products related to sports and strenuous physical activity.

Here is a truly powerful color indeed. Red stimulates action and forces humans to make decisions. Red bestows upon the utilizer more than a certain modicum of control, which, as discussed above, is the greatest indicator of power. Moreover, red is related to all things involving action: war, strength, danger and fire. Here is a color which not only represents, but exudes power.

Orange

Orange is a melded color. It fuses the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joyousness, sunshine and even the tropics. Orange depicts enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, fascination, determination, attraction, success, encouragement and even stimulation.

For humans, and to the human eye, orange is a very heated color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange is reported to increase oxygen supply to the brain, and it produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. Orange is, according to several surveys, highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is related to healthy food and stimulates the human appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In medieval times, orange was symbolic of strength and endurance.

Orange has very high visibility, so it can be used to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of any design. Orange is generally used very effectively for promoting food products and toys.

Note here that orange, though similar to red, carries many differences in interpretation. First of all, it is not as aggressive as the color red, which immediately sheds some doubt on whether it can be considered a color of "power." And although strength is generally associated with power, endurance is indicative of more of a patience, not necessarily power or control.

Yellow

Yellow is, like orange, the color of sunshine. It is related to joy, happiness, intellect and energy.

Yellow creates a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, induces mental activity and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often related to food. Here, again, yellow appears to be very similar to orange.

However, that is where the similarities end. Bright, pure yellow is an attention-getter, and that is the reason taxicabs are painted bright yellow. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it has been established that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed with black; this combination is often used to issue a warning or danger indicator. In the middle ages, yellow indicated honor and loyalty. However, later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice.

Yellow is used to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. Yellow is often chosen to promote children's products and items related to leisure. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so it can be used to highlight the most important elements of a design. Men can perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, childish color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to their gender - for instance, nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so the color is often avoided in an attempt to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow can completely disappear into white without so much as a trace, so it usually requires a dark color to highlight it. Shades of yellow can be optically unappealing as they loose cheerfulness and become dingy.

The argument, however, is that yellow is just as powerful as red. Note some of the characteristics here. Yellow attracts attention, which is power. It also has a disturbing effect and may create fear in some viewers; that too is a distinguishing feature of power. Indeed, with the exception of the cowardice element, yellow is a very powerful color indeed.

Green

Of course, green is the color of nature. It relates to growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green involves a very strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated, for obvious reasons, with money.

Green is viewed as having great healing power. It is the most restful and soothing color for the human eye; it can even improve vision. Green suggests patience, stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes a lack of experience or street know-how; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a neophyte. In the middle ages, green indicated growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red in grandiose ways, signifies safety; it is the color of free fare in road traffic, even on our freeways and thruways today.

Green may be used to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly attached to nature, so that is why it is used to promote 'green' or environmentally sound products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking and Wall Street as indicated above.

Though associated with money, green does not carry any of the other characteristics of power: It indicates newness, and far too critical and preoccupation with all things natural. It is also free, and of course, power comes at a price.

Blue

Blue denotes the sky and sea. Blue is often related to extreme and unabashed depth and stability. It indicates trust, loyalty, wisdom, intelligence, confidence, faith, truth and, of course, heaven.

Blue is considered to be beneficial to both the mind and body. It slows human metabolism - as opposed to other colors -- and produces a calming effect on the viewer. Blue is strongly related to tranquility and calmness. In the middle ages, blue was used to indicate piety and sincerity.

Blue can be utilized to promote products and services related to cleanliness (water purification filters, cleaning liquids, even vodka), air and sky (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and sea (sea voyages, mineral water). As opposed to emotionally rabid colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellectualism. Blue can be used to infuse precision when promoting high-tech products.

Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males, unlike yellow, interestingly in some situations. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; needless to say, it is a preferred color for corporate America; for instance, blue chip stocks.