Stories in Colour

The fear of colour: chromophobia


Listen Later

Where did all the colour go? And how might Western culture have feared it, or deemed it superficial, in art and philosophy? We celebrate the 25th anniversary of seminal book ‘Chromophobia’ with its author David Batchelor, who reflects on these ideas a quarter of a century on. 

David speaks to National Gallery host Beks Leary about ideas of colour from philosopher Plato and artist Paul Cezanne, to the film ‘The Wizard of Oz’, photojournalist Don McCullin and pop artist Andy Warhol. They also ask the pressing question: ‘is beige a passive aggressive colour?’ 

David Batchelor is an artist and writer based in London, who, for thirty years, has been concerned with our experience of colour within the modern urban environment, and with historical conceptions of colour within Western culture. His work comprises sculpture, installation, drawing, painting, photography and animation.

-----

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bOrd81eklxM

You can email us with any questions via [email protected]

Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast

-----

To take our short survey about the podcast please visit: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast 

-----

Artworks mentioned: 

Paul Cezanne, ‘Hillside in Provence’, about 1890-2. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paul-cezanne-hillside-in-provence  

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, ‘Madame Moitessier’, 1856. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jean-auguste-dominique-ingres-madame-moitessier  

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ‘The Skiff (La Yole)’, 1875. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/pierre-auguste-renoir-the-skiff-la-yole  

Claude Monet, ‘The Gare St-Lazare', 1877. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-the-gare-st-lazare  

Sir Don McCullin CBE, ‘Shell-shocked US Marine, The Battle of Hue’, 1968, printed 2013. ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/mccullin-shell-shocked-us-marine-the-battle-of-hue-ar01201 / https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/130204  

English or French (?), ‘The Wilton Diptych’, about 1395-9. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/english-or-french-the-wilton-diptych 

Further reading:

David Batchelor, Chromophobia [Book], 2000

Aristotle, Poetics, composed around 4th century BCE

Johann Joachim Winckelmann, History of Ancient Art (Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums) [Book], 1764

Herman Melville, Moby Dick: or, The Whale [Book], 1851

Vidor, King, et al., The Wizard of Oz [Film], 1939

Salman Rushdie, The Wizard of Oz (BFI Film Classics) [Book], 1992

Charles Blanc, Grammaire des arts du dessin: architecture, sculpture, peinture [Book], 1867

Roland Barthes, ‘Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography’ [Book], 1980

Find out more about photojournalist Don McCullin: https://donmccullin.com/

Find out more about Andy Warhol’s prints here: https://warholfoundation.org/warhol/catalogue-raisonne/catalogues-raisonnes-print/ https://www.moma.org/collection/works/portfolios/61240

Additional note:

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s ‘Madame Moitessier’ features a Japanese Imari vase.

_______

Episode Credits:

Guest: David Batchelor

Host and executive producer: Beks Leary

Producer: Harry Rosehill

Researcher: Hannah Rogers

Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver

Editor: Jeanne Kenyon

Theme music: Theo Elwell

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Stories in ColourBy The National Gallery

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

6 ratings