Optics and Chromatics Exhibition poster

The title of poster Optics and Chromatics refers to a place where Goethe points out that unlike Newton he is not so much interested in the science of sight (Optics) but rather in the theory of colours (Chromatics). He wants to demonstrate the way we actually experience colours, and not the way we are supposed to experience them according to the laws of mathematics.

I consider Goethe’s ’Theory of Colours’ as one of the basic pieces of work when studying colour experience: it highlights the fact that the colour vision is a greatly changeful, resilient and impressionistic factor, thus not possible to give a description by some exact mathematical formulas – at least not in an adequate manner. The poster enters this several-century-long scientific debate with the resources of contemporary experimental typography.

Goethe's Theory of Colours appeared in 1810. On the occasion of the bicentennial anniversary of the book the Society of Hungarian Graphic Designers and Typographers (MATT) announces an international design competition entitled Goetheorie.

Goethe's Theory of Colours appeared in 1810. The title Optics and Chromatics refers to Goethe’s conception of colors as it opposed to the newtonian theory. While the first placed emphasis on experience, the sensation of colors (Chromatics), the second focused on the abstract mathematical structure of the spectrum (Optics). Although Goethe used both terms; by Cromatics he characterized his own endeavors and by Optics he named Newton’s inquiry. In my work I aimed to show the meaning of this distinction with simple means– with paper, light and shadow.

Digital graphics could not be the tool for studying natural light, because it is not possible to conduct light experiments sitting in front of a computer. I was interested in the relationship between the two photometric principles and typography. It was obvious that the only way to do this was to take the letters out into the light and see what happened. The pre-designed, austere composition of the Optika letters did not allow for any playfulness in the composition, but the composition of the Chromatics had many surprises in store.

Goethe had a very different approach to colour than Newton. Goethe was not concerned with the mathematical description of the science of vision (optics), but with the way we perceive colours (chromatics). He wanted to demonstrate the way we actually experience colours, and not the way we are supposed to experience them according to the laws of mathematics. His theory is really a more impressionistic, playful approach, and I wanted to express this with the letters, which is why I chose coloured foils. Goethe was the first to describe how to make coloured shadows. My poster is a demonstration of this phenomenon. Basically, I like working with paper, but in order to blend the colours, it was necessary that the letters were not only made of coloured material, but also transparent, so that their shadows were visibly coloured.