A MANUAL FOR THE COLOR
BLUE
MAGALI DUZANT
When nineteenth-century British Prime Minister and scholar William Gladstone conducted an encyclopedic study of every color referenced in Homer’s The Odyssey and The Iliad, he noticed some unusual ideas. For example, the poet described honey as green and iron as violet, and made no mention of blue at all. In fact, he described the sea as a dark wine, asking: Can we even see a color if we have no name for it? Blue trails its fellow colors in language development. If a given language has only two words to describe color, they will almost always be black and white; if it has five, they will be white, black, red, green, and yellow. Blue is always the sixth color to appear. In their book Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution, anthropologist Brent Berlin and linguist Paul Kay propose
INTRODUCTION
3
that one perceives color subjectively, in accordance with the language that one speaks. In other words, our language alters our perception of color— and, subsequently, how we experience the world in general. Perhaps Homer could not comprehend the deep blues of the sea because he had no words to describe it. Blue was a latecomer among colors in the visual arts and crafts, as well. Blue is never found in cave paintings and was not included in fabrics or crafts until long after reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and purples. This is probably because it is difficult to make natural blue dyes and pigments, which need to be ground from stones like lapis lazuli or azurite. However, since its late arrival, blue has gifted the history of art and literature with many forms. It has
LIGHT BLUE DESIRE
anointed the Virgin Mary and colored the heavens. In English, it has symbolized both the aristocracy and the working class. In Russian, there are two words for blue, which refer to two distinct colors, dark blue and sky blue. Blue is rich and poor, it lies and promises, it reflects heartache and fear, and it colors dreams and desires. Language is what we make of it. It is a field fit for play, and blue is the color with the most give. Blue expresses a mood, a realm of the human condition that is off-limits to other colors. In looking up the current definition of blue, you find many things: blue is an adjective, a color intermediate between green and violet; blue is a verb, to make or become blue; and blue is a noun, a fittingly open noun, a blue thing in particular.
INTRODUCTION
5
ONE 9 TEN 59
TWO 15
NINE 55
THREE 19
EIGHT 51
FOUR 25
SEVEN 43
FIVE 29 SIX 37
CONTENTS
7
Blue is difficult to find in the natural world, despite its ubiquitous presence as the color of the sky and of the sea; these are simply meteorological phenomena. These deceptively stable blues are simply reflections and refractions; this amorphous characteristic adds to the possibility of blue skies and blue haze, places to get lost and to be found.
ONE
9
auf blauen dunst hin : in a blue haze : without knowing
ins blaue hinein : to fall into the blue : to guess at
ne voir qu’en bleu : to see nothing but blue : to be in the dark
out of the blue : unexpectedly
i det blå : in the blue : far from reality
푸른 구름 꿈 : a blue cloud dream : a dream of future success
11
깊고 푸른 하늘에 벼락 : a thunderbolt in the deep blue sky : a surprising or unexpected thing
between the devil and the deep blue sea : a dilemma
Կապուտակիլ : the blue field
: the ocean; the sea
13
“Into the wild blue yonder . . .� sings the first line of the official United States Air Force anthem, at once comfortable and yet also discordant with the possibilities of blue expanses.
TWO
15
dĂĄt nekomu modrĂŠ z nebe : to give someone the blue out of the sky : to give someone everything they want
niebieski ptak : a blue bird : an adventurer or a freeloader
once in a blue moon : very rarely
myśleć o niebieskich migdałach : to think about blue almonds : to daydream
голубое желание : a light blue desire : the thing you crave most
17
For all of the promise and possibility of blue, the color has a darker side. Blue signals heartache; a blue heart is full of melancholy. One loses sight of things when they fall into the blue.
THREE
19
blauw zijn : to be blue : to be drunk
он синий : he is dark blue : he is drunk
синий : a dark blue : a convict
van de blauwe knoop zijn : have a blue button : never drink alcohol
een blauwtje lopen : to walk a blue : to be rejected or turned down
lemand bont en blauw slaan : to beat someone bright and blue : to bruise someone physically and emotionally
att skita i det blĂĽ skĂĽpet : to defecate in the blue cabinet : to go too far; to make a fool of yourself
21
sich blauw ergeren : to be annoyed blue : to be very annoyed
fureur bleue : blue fury : extreme anger
une peur bleue : a blue fear : to be terrified
얼굴이 파랗게 질리다 : your face
turns blue : you become terrified
23
singing the blues : feeling sad or discouraged
fifa blu : a blue funk : a mood of melancholy
青色吐息 : sighing with blue breath
: suffering
25
Blue is elusive. It cannot be pinpointed; it shape-shifts. There is no truth to blue. It is the perfect excuse—the ideal shade of deception, manipulation, and surprise.
FOUR
27
ljuga sig blå : to lie yourself blue
mavi boncuk dağıtmak : to disperse blue beads : to show affection to several people making each believe that they’re the only one
das blaue von himmel herunterlügen : to lie the blue out of the sky : to lie an excessive amount
dat zijn maar blauwe bloempjes : those are nothing but blue flowers : a pack of lies
قرزألا، ةبح: blue bead
: something given to gain good will
29
Blue is a color of contradictions; it is the color of royal blood, but also of the working class. The earliest blue dye, made from lapis lazuli mined in Afghanistan, was so expensive that its rich blue tone became a sign of wealth. It also took on religious significance: the Roman Catholic Church ordered the Virgin Mary to be depicted in blue; the cobalt blue panes of the Cathedral of SaintDenis wash the church in an otherworldly light; Louis IX of France was the first monarch to wear blue and was canonized as Saint Louis. Blue prevailed against the British Redcoats in the American Revolution, starting a trend of blue authority among police worldwide. When blue dye became cheaper, the color was disseminated but perhaps still maintained its original link to wealth. Blue jeans
FIVE
31
originated in Genoa; denim, named for its origin in France (“de NĂŽmesâ€?), was dyed with indigo for longevity and the ability to conceal stains, and was sold in droves to prospectors on the hunt for gold.
FIVE
33
γαλαζοαίματη : blue-blooded
לוחכ םד: blue blood
błękitna krew : light blue blood
blåt blod i årerne : blue blood in your veins
darah biru : blue blood
di sangue blu : blue blood
sangre azul : blue blood
: aristocratic
35
col bleu : blue collar : manual labor
blĂĽlys : blue lights : police cars
plavci : the blue ones : cops
farbror blĂĽ : uncle blue : the police
37
In the seventeenth century, the word blue was used as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them. Contrarily, blue was associated with pornography in the early days of cinema, as cheaply processed black-and-white film often produced a movie with a bluish tint.
SIX
39
לוחכ שאר: a blue head : a mind
obsessed with sex
41
film blu : blue film
blue movie
ब्लू फिल्म : blue film
: pornographic film
43
Many Caucasian babies, particularly those with a fair complexion, are born with light blue eyes that change over time. The cause of this phenomenon is the low levels of melanin in the eyes at birth. Eventually light blue deepens to true blue, or warm hazel, or cool green, or a richer brown and away from newborn naĂŻvetĂŠ.
SEVEN
45
ein blaues wunder erleben : to experience a blue wonder : to get a real shock; a nasty surprise
47
blåögd : blue eyed
blåøyd : blue eyed
être fleur bleue : to be a blue flower
sinisilmäinen : blue eyed
blauäugig sein : to be blue eyed
: to be naive
49
青年 : blue age : young people 青春 : blue spring : youth
51
In some Native American languages, the cardinal directions are associated with colors. For the Cherokee, each of the cardinal points has its corresponding color and each color its symbolic meaning. Blue is associated with the north, and it embodies failure and unfulfilled desires.
EIGHT
53
dootł’izh : turquoise : associated with South
ᏌᎪᏂᎨ : blue : associated with North
55
In the early twentieth century, the generally accepted rule was that pink was for boys, and blue was for girls, the reasoning being that pink, considered a more decided and stronger color, was suitable for boys, while blue, delicate and dainty, was prettier for girls. Later, it was decided by manufacturers that blue was better suited for boys and pink for girls.
NINE
57
蓝颜知己 : blue faced confidant : the male companion of a woman
청일점 : the blue dot : the only man in a group of women
un principe azul : a blue prince : a prince charming
barbă-albastră : blue beard : a man who remarries often
bluestocking : an intellectual or literary woman
59
In northwestern Morocco, there is a town called Chefchaouen, known for its labyrinthine streets of blue-rinsed buildings. It is almost a blue tunnel of a town. Locals believe that the blue wards off mosquitoes. Others say it reminds inhabitants of the sky and the need to lead a spiritual life. I bought a packet of blue pigment in Chefchaouen that broke in my bag somewhere above the Atlantic. My belongings were dusted with the memory of a place and a person I fell in love with.
TEN
61
esta tudo azul : everything is blue : everything is alright
63
P.
I. QUOTE
II. LANGUAGE
10
auf blauen dunst hin
German
ins blaue hinein German
ne voir qu’en bleu French
out of the blue
11
i det blå Swedish
푸른 구름 꿈 Korean
English
12
깊고 푸른 하늘에 벼락 Korean
13
between the devil and the deep blue sea
Կապուտակիլ Armenian
16
dát nekomu modré z nebe Czech
niebieski ptak
17
once in a blue moon English
myśleć o niebieskich migdałach Polish
голубое желание Russian
20
blauw zijn
он синий Russian
синий Russian
van de blauwe knoop zijn Dutch
21
een blauwtje lopen Dutch
lemand bont en blauw slaan Dutch
att skita i det blå skåpet Swedish
22
sich blauw ergeren
LIGHT BLUE DESIRE
English
Polish
Dutch
Dutch
III. TRANSLATION
IV. MEANING
in a blue haze
without knowing
to fall into the blue
to guess at
to see nothing but blue
to be in the dark
— unexpectedly in the blue
far from reality
a blue cloud dream
a dream of future success
a thunderbolt in the deep blue sky
surprising or unexpected thing
—
a dilemma
the blue field
the ocean; the sea
to give someone the blue out of the sky
to give someone everything they want
a blue bird
an adventurer or a freeloader
—
very rarely
to think about blue almonds
to daydream
a light blue desire
the thing you crave most
to be blue
to be drunk
he is dark blue
he is drunk
a dark blue
a convict
have a blue button
never drink alcohol
to walk a blue
to be rejected or turned down
to beat someone bright and blue to bruise someone physically and emotionally to defecate in the blue cabinet
to go too far; to make a fool of yourself
to be annoyed blue
to be very annoyed
GLOSSARY
65
P.
I. QUOTE
II. LANGUAGE
22
fureur bleue
French
23
une peur bleue French
얼굴이 파랗게 질리다 Korean
24
singing the blues
English
fifa blu
Italian
25
青色吐息 Japanese
28
ljuga sig blå Swedish
mavi boncuk dağıtmak Turkish
das blaue von himmel herunterlügen German
dat zijn maar blauwe bloempjes Dutch
29
قرزألا، ةبحArabic
34
γαλαζοαίματη Greek
לוחכ םדHebrew
błękitna krew Polish
blåt blod i årerne Danish
35
darah biru Indonesian
di sangue blu Italian
sangre azul Spanish
36
col bleu French
37
blålys Norwegian
plavci Serbo-Croatian
farbror blå Swedish
LIGHT BLUE DESIRE
III. TRANSLATION
IV. MEANING
blue fury
extreme anger
a blue fear
to be terrified
your face turns blue
you become terrified
—
feeling sad or discouraged
a blue funk
a mood of melancholy
sighing with blue breath
suffering
to lie yourself blue — to disperse blue beads
to show affection to several people making each believe that they’re the only one
to lie the blue out of the sky
to lie an excessive amount
those are nothing but blue flowers
a pack of lies
blue bead
something given to gain good will
blue-blooded aristocratic blue blood aristocratic light blue blood aristocratic blue blood in your veins aristocratic blue blood aristocratic blue blood aristocratic blue blood aristocratic blue collar
manual labor
blue lights
police cars
the blue ones cops uncle blue
GLOSSARY
the police
67
I. QUOTE
II. LANGUAGE
41
לוחכ שארHebrew
42
film blu Italian
blue movie English
ब्लू फिल्म Hindi
47
ein blaues wunder erleben German
48
blåögd Swedish
blåøyd Norwegian
être fleur bleue French
49
sinisilmäinen Finnish
blauäugig sein
51
青年 Japanese
German
青春 Japanese
54
dootł’izh
Navajo (Diné Bizaad)
55
Cherokee (Tsalagi)
ᏌᎪᏂᎨ
58
蓝颜知己 Mandarin
청일점 Korean
un principe azul Spanish
barbă-albastră Romanian
59
bluestocking
63
esta tudo azul Portuguese
LIGHT BLUE DESIRE
English
III. TRANSLATION
IV. MEANING
a blue head
a mind obsessed with sex
blue film
pornographic film
—
pornographic film
blue film
pornographic film
to experience a blue wonder
to get a real shock; a nasty surprise
blue eyed
to be naive
blue eyed
to be naive
to be a blue flower
to be naive
blue eyed
to be naive
to be blue eyed
to be naive
blue age
young people
blue spring youth turquoise
associated with South
blue
associated with North
blue faced confidant
the male companion of a woman
the blue dot
the only man in a group of women
a blue prince
a prince charming
blue beard
a man who remarries often
—
an intellectual or literary woman
everything is blue
everything is alright
GLOSSARY
69
Light Blue Desire: A Manual for the Color Blue by Magali Duzant First Edition © 2018 Conveyor Editions © 2018 Magali Duzant Special Thanks to Liz Sales, Alan S. Kennedy’s Color/Language Project, Emireth Herrera and Christina Freeman at Flux Factory 978-0-9908016-9-6 Designed by Elana Schlenker Copy-edited by Elissa Rabellino Printed and bound at Conveyor Studio Conveyor Editions conveyoreditions.com
The cyanometer was invented in the eighteenth century by the Swiss scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure to measure the intensity of blue. While mountain climbing in the Alps, he was struck by the phenomenon of the sky turning a deeper blue the higher you climbed. Determined to measure the “blueness” of the sky, Saussure created a simple instrument, a circle of paper swatches dyed in successively darker shades of Prussian blue—from white to black—each being indistinguishable from the preceding. The most sophisticated version of the tool consisted of fifty-two “nuances of blue,” as Saussure called them. The deepest blue that Saussure ever recorded was the thirty-ninth degree on Mont Blanc. In 1802, Alexander von Humboldt—the famous naturalist, geographer, and explorer— brought a cyanometer on his ascent of the volcano Chimborazo in the Andes, where he set a world record for the darkest sky ever measured, at the forty-sixth degree. Many measurements were made with the cyanometer, but the tool yielded little insight. When the true cause of the sky’s blueness, the scattering of light, was discovered decades later, in the 1860s, Saussure’s circle of blue had already fallen into obscurity. Though the instrument never fully explained the blue, it did provide a space for the contemplation of blueness, a record of light and sight.
A NOTE ABOUT THE CYANOMETER