In contemporary art, color is more than visual; it’s a dynamic, emotional, and conceptual medium. Its evolving meanings and uses reflect cultural, social, and technological changes in today’s world, showcasing its transformative role in modern expression.
Installation art has been another field where the use of color has taken new directions. Rather than simply being a visual component of the artwork, color becomes an integral element that shapes the viewer's experience, contributing to the creation of a total emotional and sensory environment. Contemporary artists working with installations often use color to transform space and alter the perception of reality.
The artist James Turrell is famous for his works that explore light, color, and perception. In installations like Skyspaces, Turrell uses both natural and artificial light to modify the color of the sky viewed through an architectural structure. The colors in his installations are not presented as fixed; instead, they change depending on the light entering the room or the surrounding environment, creating a sensory experience that profoundly affects the emotional state of the viewer.
The color in Turrell's works, influenced by light, invites visitors to explore the very perception of color, showing how the surroundings and lighting conditions can completely transform a work of art.
The Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson also explores color in a sensory way in his installations. In works like The Weather Project at the Tate Modern, Eliasson created a massive yellow sphere that mimicked the sun, accompanied by an atmosphere tinted in orange and yellow tones. This use of color generated a collective emotional experience, a sense of calm and awe, but also reflection on climate change and the human relationship with nature.
For Eliasson, color has a unique power to transform the perception of space and the emotional state of viewers.
Kerry James Marshall uses color with precision and symbolism that are deeply rooted in the history of Black identity in America. In works like Handsome Young Man, Marshall employs black and other tones to highlight the figure of the subject, playing with textures and the use of color to bring visibility to both historical and contemporary issues.
His palette is rich with meaning, as the use of black color, both in the figure and the background, underscores the struggle for representation and visibility of African American culture in art.
