How has colour been used in the past and in the present day to evoke distinct emotional responses? In particular looking at how colours have become associated with different character traits and how it has been used to create characters in story and performance. Specifically creating one costume which can effectively suggest the seven deadly sins using colour.

Abstract

Throughout history colour has been used to be or to create a symbol in order to gain a collective understanding either being emotional or physical. This dissertation is an investigation into how colour has been used throughout history, to analyse how it has been used symbolically to represent either an individual or an entire culture's beliefs. Through looking at civilisations spanning from the Ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, Romans and into early Christianity it will also attempt to source where some of these meanings have originated. To then explore how some representations of colour only stay within some cultures, while others have lasted over thousands of years and are still recognisable in the modern day. This study will also be looking into how colour is used in theatre, then later on in film. Showing how it has developed since the ancient era onwards, whether using a mask or an item of clothing it identifies how certain types of theatre and film use colours to define their characters. This project will explore the origin of the seven deadly sins and the reason why they were created it will also link how colours have been used to represent the seven deadly sins. The outcome of this project is to create one costume that can embody all of the seven sins by changing the lighting shined upon it, to then allow a viewer to give their own opinion of which colour matches each sin.