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Essay / The color blue In Goethe's “Strange Color” - 1297
It focuses on the psychology of art visualization and pays particular attention to the perception of color. According to Arnheim, the absence of color deprives the most effective element of discrimination (Arnheim, 1974, p. 330). He uses the example of cats and dogs because they are biologically color blind. These animals would be able to efficiently identify a ball rolling on a lawn if they could perceive color. Cats and dogs can only differentiate objects because of the different textures in their environment. This example shows the importance of having the ability to perceive color because it allows us to correctly discriminate our world. Arnheim also points out that one cannot assume that different people or different cultures have the same standards regarding which colors are similar or different (Arnheim, p. 332). Different cultures can distinguish plant colors better than more industrialized cultures. A tribe heavily involved in agriculture may have more words to describe the different shades of green of its crops in a more superior manner than to differentiate between different shades of blue. Although Arnheim states that person color is the same for individuals of different backgrounds, ages and cultures. Color differentiation may vary between groups of people, but perception of color would generally be similar..