Color: Social Comentary (images below)

In this blog I'm exploring the social implications of color in two images. The first I chose was of an enclosed construction site. The majority of the colors in this picture are fairly muted. We see the faded burgundies of the dirty brick wall, the varying grey tones of the concrete blocks, slabs, and rubble, and the fence in the foreground. The only exceptions are the turned over bright orange construction barrel and cut off parking sign in white and red. The colors of this image illicit a strong sense of urbanity. These are the hues and tones one would expect to see in any city work cite, accented acutely by the "hazard" orange of the fallen barrel. This is a color and object when seen together we associate immediately with construction and manual labor.
For my second image I chose a packed shelf holding boxes of bottled beer. I selected this shot for its use of color within advertising. Obviously each box contains at least one bright color. This being a product of consumption no manufacturer would opt for dull packaging. in the case of beer, bottles specifically, the colors of the wrapping generally reflects the actual color of the beer, or at the very least the color the glass makes it appear to be. Carona uses yellow, Heineken green, and Amstel brown. Also, there is generally a small amount of contrasting color amongst the major hue, to draw our attention. Aside from the colors being on the brighter side to catch the eye of the consumer, the average twenty-something would most likely be able to identify these brands just by seeing their colors, excluding any text. We learn to associate these specific colors and the patterns they appear in with the product instinctively, just as one does with Pepsi or McDonald's.
We as a society use color to directly make associations. Whether that be brand names, the setting of a scene, or a color we recognize as a warning, our use of color to make inferences and create mental relationships is invaluable to our social interactions.

Color Context Images