Colours of the Sphere
A research project in the School of Art, Design & Media, University of Portsmouth, England UK
The Demographics of Audience

Experience gained from the former project Enigmatic Communities of Colour demonstrated that the project has a wide audience demographic. There are contributions ranging from the elderly to pre-school age.

The nature of the question(s) ‘tell me about a colour which has some meaning/significance for you?’ is a question, which can be addressed by the vast majority of people. At its most basic level this can be answered in terms of a favourite colour. On a more sophisticated level it can be an answer related to significant events, emotional or objective attachments or embedded in a psychological, philosophical or political position.

The interface will be designed to be as user friendly as possible to avoid any misconception that you need to be technologically aware to participate.
A Philosophical/Scientific Framework

Colour is a phenomenon. We relate to it, use it, respond to it, invent it, quote it, culturally objectify it, measure it, use as metaphor and express our inner-self through it. Yet we cannot be certain of
its veracity exemplified by complementary afterimage. It appears to have an empirical, objective physical nature and a measurability but
we can’t know what we measure is what we see and share. Is it the same experience to view a white object exposed through blue light, as it is to view a blue object exposed through white light? It appears
to have a rationale about the way it is created but we are restricted to a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum to create our entire range of colours. What colours would we create if we accessed a greater portion of that spectrum, would we discover new ones and invent others? Colour is part of the language of metaphysics. It is a
descriptor of passion and jealousy, a signifier of enlightenment and despair. It transcends its physical and rational foundations into a visual poetry of emotion.