Research by the Science Museum Group based on objects from different periods of UK history shows how their colors have transformed over time, leaving vibrant tones behind and becoming grayer every day.
Cat Sleeman examined more than seven thousand photographs of everyday objects from the Science Museum Group Collection in research funded by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Center (PEC). From cameras to lamps and other household objects, they were organized into 21 different categories according to their use. The analysis was carried out based on counting pixels of different colors and also addressed the shape of the objects.
Study findings include the tendency for objects to become gray over time, which can be seen in photos and videos from the past. It is possible to plot these results on a graph that indicates how many pixels are in objects based on when they were created, from 1800 to now. Over these 200 years, gray tones became predominant, mainly from the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century, and yellowish and brownish colors fell during this same period.
This transformation was not only due to aesthetic reasons. It was also during this period that plastic was introduced, followed by stainless steel, and a decrease in the use of wood. In the study, a telegraph image from 1844 is compared with an iPhone image from 2008. The telegraph's colors derive not only from its materials, such as wood and metal but also from its shape, as its curves and details print shadows that register pixels of different colors. On the other hand, the iPhone does not present as many variations in its regular shape and its gray and black colors.
This trend was also reflected in several sectors of industry and culture. If we compare, for example, the image of a highway in the 1980s and today, we will see a greater concentration of colored cars with saturated colors in the past, while there is a predominance of vehicles painted in silver, black and white nowadays. The same happened with domestic interiors: the colors, which until the mid-20th century were quite present in finishes, decorative objects and furniture, were gradually diluted and suppressed.
In postmodernism, domestic architecture presented different ways of addressing adornments and finishes. Inside the houses, while trying to introduce materials and remove finishes seeking an almost monochromatic uniformity, the finishes also became more and more industrialized, and consequently, more uniform. The result over the years is a loss of ornaments, colors, textures and prints in indoor ambiances.
However, the trend seems to be changing in recent years. In search of a cultural change, Generation Z seems to be reversing the minimalist logic by introducing more colors to the rooms. Furthermore, it is necessary to highlight that the aesthetic aspects cannot be isolated from their social, economic and cultural context so that the colors and shapes — and architecture — of objects are always related to the specificities of the place.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on December 08, 2022.
