「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Colors: Breaking the “Pink” Sweetness Bias

Pink was once the color that symbolized the softness, passion and enjoyment of the Rococo style. It was also given the name “superficial” by Diderot. It was a color that was both subject to social norms and constantly rebelled against by art.

Olivier Mosset stripped away the sacredness of monochrome paintings with his use of single-color tones, allowing the colors to directly engage the viewer’s senses. Henry Valensi’s “Symphony in Pink” transformed pink into flowing music, playing out a visual rhythm amid the undulating color blocks, being gentle yet full of tension.

Salvador Dalí’s “The Rotting Donkey” uses romantic pastel colors to highlight the absurdity and decay. Beneath the sugary appearance lies a subversive spiritual impact.

Lucio Fontana, on the other hand, gave the pink color a physical texture through cuts and holes. The sharp blade sliced through the canvas surface, and the holes resembled the breathing of life. The soft colors and the sharp actions created a powerful sensory collision.

And Cai Jin’s “Dried Canna II” is even more profound. On the silk fabric of the hundred-child pattern, a rich and decadent rose pink is used to depict the texture of the plants, juxtaposing the traditional patterns that imply patriarchal discipline with the female body consciousness, thus achieving the awakening of women from an Eastern perspective.

This is not only a liberation of colors, but also a redefinition of the senses. Pink is the sweet candy, yet it is also the sharp blade of awakening. It is gentle yet powerful, soft yet showing its sharpness.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.