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Part of
Progress in Colour Studies: Cognition, language and beyond
Edited by Lindsay W. MacDonald, Carole P. Biggam and Galina V. Paramei
[Not in series 217] 2018
► pp. 357–369

Chapter 19
Common basis for colour and light studies

| Konstfack University, Sweden

Most scientific research about colour and light perception is focused on underlying physical or physiological processes. The contribution of physics to description of human experiences is limited to causal relations. Physical theories can with great precision describe, explain and predict physical and physiological processes, but there is no physical method or physical theory describing the spatio-dynamic and contextual human experience of colour and light. Without a common systematic description of the living experiences of colour and light, teachers are obliged to use a variety of incoherent and competing doctrines and systems. This article argues for a widened interdisciplinary dialogue aiming at a common framework of understanding of colour and light experiences.

Keywords: colour, light, experience, perception, education
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Colour and light education
  • 3.Natural scientific approach to colour and light
  • 4.Human living experience of colour and light
    • 4.1Ecological/phenomenological approach to colour and light
    • 4.2Aesthetic philosophy: colour and light as expressive symbols
  • 5.Towards a common framework of knowledge
  • References
Published online: 26 November 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/z.217.19kla
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