Check the live project in my Tumblr

THE PROJECT

“The Colour And The Shape” is a semi-daily personal project in the line of works and studies by Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, or Wassily Kandinsky. It aims to explore the synesthetic qualities of images, and the effects of color and space subdivision in the observer’s psyche.

Working within a set of rigid and very limited rules opens a window to self-analysis. By being fully aware of the involved thought processes and outcome, it allows me to improve different aspects of my own creative process.

THE IDEA

The idea for this project lies in the intersection of a few of my interests such as: Scandinavian design and illustration, stationery design, interior design, color, synesthesia, semiotics, abstraction, and reductionism.

I’ve always been attracted to bold geometrical designs and color palettes as well as the psychology attached to both their creation and consumption processes, be it as art pieces in a gallery or designs applied to objects and products.

I defined a limiting ruleset for the project (do it every day, build a new color palette every time, use only one kind of shape each time, dispose only of a very limited amount of time…). I usually create the pieces as part of my morning routine, mostly while I’m having my first coffee of the day.

ANALYSIS AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT

The aforementioned constraining ruleset and repetitive nature of the project makes it easier to be aware of small changes and patterns.

Soon after starting the project, I noticed streaks of days when I was getting attached to a particular motif, shape, or color, moments when I was breaking the rules or trying to find ways to circumvent or bend them, automatically creating my own excuses and inner dialogs to justify this behavior, and other moments when I was neglecting the project because I had other pressing obligations that I judged more important.

Because of all of this, the project acts like a cornerstone and gives me a deep insight into thought processes that would otherwise pass unnoticed, and a calibrating tool helping me define where some of my limits lie.