What Is RED?: The Story of a Colour

Painting the World RED.

The world is full of colours, each with its own story, each invoking a range of feelings, each a delight to the eye. Of all these, it is RED that stands out for power, passion and intensity. The colour of a summer’s day, its own blast of heat. The colour of a winter blanket, cosy and snug. You could say that RED is a little of what you want it to be. RED is a shade and a state of mind. In the following article we will take you on a colourive tour of RED, the most vibrant of all the hues, a realm of emotions and beauty. From the rose to the terracotta of ancient pottery, RED adds its own cocktail of beauty and anger, heat and cold, to the world around us.

The Psychology of RED: A Colour that Commands Attention

But RED is not just an ordinary colour. It is a statement, a full stop, an exclamation mark. A room full of RED will simply be ‘louder’ than one full of blue. As a colour, RED is associated with energy, war, danger, power, strength, willpower, passion, lust, eroticism, love and — since showing up comes before driving off — desire. RED increases perspiration and raises the pulse and blood pressure. It is visible at a greater distance than any other colour – stop signs and stoplights, fire equipment – you get the idea.

RED in Fashion: Bold and Unapologetic

Wear RED and no one can question your brazen statement of power and attitude. RED lips, RED gown, RED shoes – every time you wear this colour you expose yourself for maximum visibility. And then you can strut. RED is the absolute fashion power colour. Designers flirt with its variations to produce both classic and cutting-edge looks.

RED in Nature: Spectacular and Surreal

Nature, too, shares in its romance, smearing RED one sweeping stroke across flowers, birds and heavens For the rose is RED, indeed, its fleshy petals a universal love symbol. The plumage of the cardinal, or the deep coat of the RED fox, drift across the spectrum, while the spectral sight of a blood-RED moon, a gift and an omen that I urge everyone to go out and see, if clear skies permit.

RED in Culture: A Colour of Significance and Celebration

RED is a colour for festivity and celebration worldwide. In China, RED is the colour of wealth and good fortune, used for interior and exterior decoration at New Year and other feast days; in India, RED is used for the blessing called the boondi, made with vermillion powder, which is applied to the forehead to ward off evil and give a blessing; and in the West, Valentine’s Day is rooted in the language of RED roses.

RED in Cuisine: Delighting the Senses

And even in culinary contexts, the colour RED has an aphrodisiac appeal: again, it is sensual and stimulating, a joy to behold and to sate the appetite. From the colour of cherries and strawberries, to the appeal of RED velvet cake and RED curries (when they promise heat and spice among other things) RED food can look as titillating as it promises to taste. On the plate, RED can feel as vivifying. Food served on RED can make every meal a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.

The Symbolism and Influence of RED

Yet RED, in its territory just beyond the visible spectrum, embodies a world of profound influence and symbolism. It’s a colour with gravitas, a colour that wants to be seen and heard. It provokes us to react, to feel, to love, to hate, to fear, to feel powerful, to feel in danger. Without understanding RED, its influence, its potency, we can’t hope to capitalise on one of nature’s most persuasive attributes: its ability to exert power over us. From design, to painting, fashion and brands, the right RED is vital.

Diving Deeper into RED

RED is not just a colour; rather, it is a living hue, a state of being that morphs on an extreme scale, from soft vermilion at dawn to the carmine of sunset, and from the blood-like ruby to a perfect scarlet. RED appears innumerable, at times evoking ultramarine or indigo; at others, the burnt umber of dead leaves in autumn, the sepia of faded postcards, or the cerulean of a royal blue dress. RED is as multivalent as it is varied. It is the hue of a flame.

In some ways, no wonder. RED is present throughout the living world, in both nature and culture, as a hue brimming with power, capable of luring in and warning away, sparking energy and demanding engagement, making the world a much more vivid place to look at – whether in the soft petals of a RED rose, the boldness of a stroke of lipstick, or the auspicious decoration of cultural festivals. RED is undead, and still working its magic on our desire to see the world with the intensity of love.

Finally, RED emerges as a ripe colour of significance and diversity. After journeying through the panoply of REDs, we are alerted to RED’s ability to sway, coax and energise. The next time you see something RED, look again. Appreciate the colour and complexity of RED, and how the appearance of this alluring hue helps us see.