Genetic semantic colour space
GENETIC SEMANTICS
Ferre Alpaerts & Inez Michiels
CONTENT
1. Main points
2. A three dimensional semantic space
3. Synaesthesia
4. Elementary properties of colour
5. Encoding and emotion
6. Elementary properties of shape
7. Comparative table colour-shape
1. Main points
Whether intentional or not, all products and visual communicators convey a statement through their shape, colour, texture, via a part of language structures that deal with meaning, called semantics.
When colours and forms are used to refer to situations and changes outside us, they become signs. To be able to understand signs, they must refer to neuro-physiological situations and changes in us. Thus, signs must have an external and inner meaning as well. Chair e.g. is not only a reference to a material object, a piece of furniture. It is also a term. We know already what sitting is before we can speak. Chair becomes only understandably out of this natural knowledge.
Semantics assume:
- An external, concrete giving of meaning which originates from the sensual.
- An inner, abstract giving of meaning which has been determined genetically.
One finds codical forms and structures in all languages and sign systems.
All languages and sign systems have originated from the oldest ‘script’, from the ‘words’ and the ‘letters’ of the DNA. They have been developed parallel to the natural evolution of the species. Not only the physiological life forms but also mental life has originated by evolution.
In addition, the individual giving of meaning assumes genetic encoding, because each hereditary bent, also the semantic ability, was set out in the DNA. The inner meaning is the codic meaning.
In 1965, the first work of linguist Noam Chomsky, Aspects of the theory of syntax, appears. He states that grammar is hereditary. How differing languages can seem, the basic construction is the same for all languages. The cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker gives in his book The Language Instinct (2007) an impressive number of arguments for the benefit of the generative grammar of Chomsky. He studies the languages as products of the brain (software) and the brain as a biological computer (hardware). Pinker gives arguments of child psychologists, biologists, neuro-physiologists, computer experts, linguists et al. from which the existence of a thinking language (mentalese) proves to be necessary.
The ‘words’ of semantics refer to the images of thinking. Thinking is, according to cognitive psychologists, working with the “mental graphics system” (Pinker).
2. A three dimensional semantic space
The analysis of a meaning is often considered as parsing the sense of a term in the smallest distinctive properties of it, which is in components that oppose to each other. Semantics postulates that there exist antagonistic semantic markers, which transfer elementary meaning. In 1963, J.J. Katz introduced the semantic markers as elementary particles of meaning, he placed the marked (1) against the unmarked (0). The simplest language is that of computers, ranges of ones and zeros. This binary code was discovered by the mathematical philosopher Leibniz.
For example: a light switch: open = dark, closed = light
Meaning arises by combining these elementary carriers of meaning. E.g. boy = +human, -adult, +male. Girl = +human, -adult, -male.
After the introduction of the markers, the semantic axes of A. J. Greimas (Structural Semantics 1984) followed. He noted that we do not only think binary, in antagonisms, but also dimensional, according to aspects. Depth, height and breadth are dimensions of fictitious but nevertheless meaningful positions and movements. The 3d-structure appears inherent to human thinking.
Charles Osgood, American psychologist, developed a technique for measuring the connotative meaning of concepts, known as the semantic differential, today one of the most widely used scales in the measurement of attitudes.
3d-semantic space
Depth meaning, science concerning signs, maths, logic, communication
Height technique, strengths, forces, gravitation, cause and consequence, mechanized
Breath targeted, history, narrative, evolution
3. Synaesthesia
Our research has shown that it is possible to compare sign systems with each other, i.e. to retrieve a certain meaning in both colour and in form. At the same time form, colour as well as taste can sense just as sharply. Biologically this centre in the brain was shown to exist among other things by the phenomenon of synesthesia. The Bouba-Kiki effect, an experiment first designed by Wolfgang Köhler, shows that a certain degree of inherited associations comes standard with humans.
We can state that each characteristic of a colour has an instinctive counterpart in shape and texture. These concordances have been based on own study into e.g. colour and shape in fine arts in comparison with the subject, and on research of others.
4. Elementary properties of colour
spatial model of colour properties
When you want to describe a colour emotionally, a psychological terminology must be used. After comparison of divergent sources from different human sciences, we have named and encoded colours, according to the principle of antagonisms and dimensions. This results in three groups of antagonisms, which appear important when it concerns emotional values.
depth:
- INTROVERT / EXTROVERT
- in the back / in front
- inner / outer
- cold / warm
- within / outside
- depth / surface
- expression / impression
- fantasy / portrayal
The term introversion was used original by Sigmund Freud in his theory concerning the libido. Afterwards Carl Jung turned the two terms into the core of its personality typology. Hans Jürgen Eysenck used this antagonism as most important marker in his personality theory.
- With an extroverted institution the energy is targeted to outside, on people, activities and things.
- With an introverted institution the energy is targeted to the inner self, on own ideas and feelings.
The research of Eva Heller teaches us that extroverted people also have a preference for orange, red, white and yellow.
Height:
- HARD / SOFT
- high / low
- heavy / light weighted
- strong / weak
- material / ethereal
- fat / lean
Hard and soft is used in all professional terminology.
Hard or soft negotiations, hard or soft boiled, hard and soft drugs, hardware or software, hard or soft material. In the field of the labour market research one speaks of hard factors, such as education and soft factors such as character qualities. There exists also hard and soft sciences, whereby hard are exact sciences and soft are human sciences. Also with animals are noticed hard and soft characteristics. The soft, gentle dog is rather timid and nervous. Hard is also compared to heavy and large, whereas soft is sensed rather fine and small. Hard colours can be blue, black, orange and red, soft colours can be green, purple, yellow or white.
Breath:
- STATIC / DYNAMIC
- left / right
- conservation / renewal
- self-preservation / conquest
- rest / restless
- passive / active
- stagnation / movement
Passivity means rest and the general decrease of the metabolism processes and gland functioning. With activity, the metabolism process accelerates and the gland functioning increases. Ancient peoples showed a number of basis behaviour. The active primitive man was a hunter, his activity was aimed at conquest and acquisition. A passive attitude was self-preservation, defence, the withdrawal in itself. Tests show that red is an active colour and green a passive.
5. Encoding and emotion
the 3-digit 'words' in the semantic space
Encoding brings on genetic ‘words’ that are build with three ‘letters’.
- bleu = 000
- black = 001
- green = 010
- purple = 011
- orange = 100
- red = 101
- white = 110
- yellow = 111
6. Elementary properties of shape
spatial model of shape properties
Six shape characteristics were held back after comparison of a large number of paintings. They were classified according to groups, dimensions and polarity after trying out all kinds of possibilities and taking into account imagery, classification of the genetic semantics or phonetic characteristics.
Of the six characteristics, three seem to relate to global properties, namely direction, volume and form. The remaining three, namely structure, surface and composition relate to details.
For this reason the first group is independently used, the second group adjectivally. One does not say, “a vertical regularity” but “the regularity of a vertical form”, no “convex roughness” but the “harsh picture of a convex form”, no “angular frugality” but “a soberly designed form which is angular”.
The independent (global) properties (the last three digits in the code).
Depth: vertical(0)-horizontal(1) concerning the direction. E.g. the orientation of the canvas of impressionist or expressionist paintings. Expressionism, with mostly portraits and stills as a subject, has a majority of vertical paintings while impressionism, with landscapes as most important subject, is mostly horizontally oriented.
Height: convex(0)-concave(1) concerning volume. The fat Happy Buddha is convex. Concave are the long, stretched, slim figures of the sculptor Giacommetti. In a logo or font, it is a difference between fat (bold) or thin, fine lines.
Breath: angular(0)-rounded(1) concerning line course. This antagonism is placed in the breadth dimension and has a static:dynamic aspect. An angular form is static whereas a round form such as a wheel has a dynamic characteristic. Angularity is used by cubist painters that have made a style of this characteristic.
The adjective (detail) properties (the first three digits in the code).
Depth: irregular(0)-regular(1) concerning structure. With an irregular structure we understand chaos: something that grew without any pre-defined plan like random. e.g. the paintings of the gestural abstracts of action painters who were leaded by a natural or unconscious urge. An ordered, regular structure in its most extreme form is absolute symmetry. As a response to the gestural expression of painters like Pollack a new generation of painters arise in the U.S.A. and in Europe who choose for a tight control of forms, e.g. Victor Vasarely.
Height: rough(0)-smooth(1) concerning the quality of the surface or borders. Rough brush strokes, material like stone (not polished), jute, crumbling sand, in short all that has an unclear, hazy border or surface is rough. This roughness we find in the works of expressionist painters like the Belgian artist Permeke. A smooth surface or a sharp border is the opposite of this characteristic. Think about the paintings of Henry Matisse. He composed sharp sliced colour fields on a plain background.
Breath: frugal(0)-ornate(1) concerning composition. A field filled in completely with variable patterns without any point of rest is an ornate composition. E.g. the paintings of Jackson Pollock. This corresponds with dynamism against the static soberness of minimalism. F. e. the paintings of Barnett Newman from the early fifties, with the typical plain colour fields and minimal content.
7. Comparative table colour-shape
comparative table colour - shape
Our method of analysing assumes a semantic space where antagonistic characteristics of colour and shape are placed in 3 dimensions. We have then a model with which colour and shape can be compared. The ‘translation’ is accomplished by comparing systematically the properties of one system with those of the other.
