Spectral spaces: approaching dimensional colour through sculptural practice

Abstract

In this practice-based research, I investigate how colour can function as a dynamic, formative element of sculpture and sculptural installation. Drawing on colour theory and the concept of ‘entanglement’ from environmental humanities and multispecies studies, I explore the relational and dimensional nature of colour. By entering a sculptural space through colour, I map out the different material-chromatic states that sculpture can take, positioning colour as a driving force in both the evolution of sculpture and the cultivation of ecological awareness.

I begin with the notion of colourform, which implies that colour can only be experienced in conjunction with form, to develop novel ways of thinking about colour in sculpture and working with colour sculpturally. Drawing on Karen Barad’s concept of ‘entanglement’ as ‘intra-action’, I develop the idea of intra-action of colour as a process through which colour emerges via dynamic intra-relations rather than in isolation.

I explore the possibility of disentanglement and introduce the concept of colour extinction to examine how the loss of specific colour combinations in the natural world alters one’s aesthetic experience of the environment, and how this phenomenon can be investigated through sculpture. I consider this within the broader context of the current ecological crisis, particularly the ongoing mass extinction. Finally, I propose the idea of acchromatising, as the process and practice of gradual attunement towards a place and its multifaceted relationships through colour.

Through the lens of sculptural practice, this thesis evidences how colour can play a pivotal role in reshaping our perceptions and interactions with our surroundings. Beyond sculpture, this approach encourages the development of ecological sensitivity and empathetic understanding towards the environments where human and non-human worlds coexist.