"Psycho-Swirl"  [Reflections On Book - 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design Stephen Heller and Veronique Vienne - # 56]

“When is a color not a color?” One guy asked;
It’s all the time, indeed our palette-scale is vast;
The gentle shifts in tone from center to the rim
Of circled colors in our day does not begin –

To depict fact that colors in the light,
And context of the other colors dark and bright
Quite different are – as well the viewer’s state of mind –
So “Psychedelic’s” clashing colors now we find.

It came from Yale, then San Francisco at the time;
The fifties saw effects of context quite sublime;
But then the vibrancy of clashing values wrought
Distinctive graphics, twisting lessons from the taught.

Lord, I’d not seen all this as from a teacher of design;
Thought it was kids whose scribbles turned with colored lines;
But now I see it – Higher-ed did lead the way,
It jars me still – I’m glad it had its little day.

Thanks Lord for this.

navigation