You Must Add Kassia St. Clair's "The Secret Lives of Color" To Your Reading List

Kassia St. Clair, “The Secret Lives of Color.” New York: Penguin Books. 2016.

Have you read Kassia St. Clair’s book “The Secret Lives of Color” yet? If not, you are in for a treat! You can see how worn my copy is, dirtied from frequent referencing. This is one of my absolute favorite books ever. You can use it as an encyclopedia for learning about the “life” of a specific color, or completely throw yourself into “Secret Lives” as a non-fiction book (filled with art historical references) - touching on global history, economics, color psychology, Buddhist symbolism, Medieval dyes, ancient Roman religious beliefs, the occult, the Industrial Revolution, the Impressionists, fashion, Pop Art and so much more.

Pick a shade, any shade. Cerulean? St. Clair’s got it. Scarlet? She’s got it. Naples Yellow? Got it. Flourescent pink?… Indigo? Verdigris? Check. 75 shades in all, their stories elucidated within a brief 2-4 page chapters, revealing the fascinating histories (and often the science/or technologies) behind them. Kassia St. Clair’s extensive research, witty concise writing, and generous anecdotes transport us through place and time, connecting the dots in meaningful and entertaining ways and making this book a most unexpected page-tuner - for artists, art lovers, the art curious, and truly anyone who appreciates good storytelling.

I give “Secret Lives” 6 out of 5 stars. You heard me, and I dare you to open upon any chapter and not find rich factual nuggets of information conveyed in the most memorable ways.

Why I Teach: Art's Power to Connect

Ultimately art affirms our humanity by connecting us to the lives of other human beings. Art can touch us through an immediate visceral or emotional experience, but it can also stir us to reflect upon the lives of artists and the social and personal worlds they inhabit.    

Taking the example of the still lifes shown here – by Pieter Claesz, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Carrie Mae Weems, Yayoi Kusama, Juan Sánchez Cotán, and Paul Cézanne - which represent 350 years of Western art – we realize that the study of art can be approached in many ways, from the formal to the biographical, the social/historical to the theoretical. Artists are individuals, but they also represent a continuum of human endeavor and dialogue. They strive to express, innovate, and perfect; they inspire one another, compete with one another, and pay homage to one another. Artists live and feel deeply; when they create, they manifest a vision that is both unique and contextual. When we look at a work of art, we know that some man or woman made it – it is their toil, their idea, their aspiration, their necessity. Regardless of an artist’s place in time, their stories, their works, and the relations between them continue to move and fascinate us.  

I have found that looking closely at art and discussing it with others can be a touching, funny, provocative, even profound experience… it can be something that goes beyond words. It can offer us a sense of community that many feel is missing from today's world. The purpose of my work is to help make meaningful connections – between individuals and art (history) and between individuals and their own humanity.

My goal is to make people feel, to make them laugh, to get them to think and share, and to help them experience art deeply. To this end, I want to use this website not only to create new venues for my own professional projects, but to share information, exchange ideas, and let people know about possibilities and upcoming events that provide access to learning, engagement, and enjoyment through visual culture.  Let’s find connection together!