World Colours – Black

Black is the colour of my true love’s hair, so the song goes, but it’s not an easy colour to work with if you want to make it stand out. I still managed to take some interesting pictures in England 2 years ago of subjects in that colour. The second picture comes with a warning about its politically incorrect nature.

Anish Kapoor installation at the Tate Modern
Ishi’s Light – Anish Kapoor installation at the Tate Modern
Gollywog dolls in Bullivant of York tea room
Golliwog display in Bullivant of York tea room
Box seats at St JJames' Park, Newcastle
Box seats at St James’ Park, Newcastle
Black pudding at the Salisbury market
Black pudding at the Salisbury market. We don’t get these in Singapore. :(

This was what the sun was said to have looked like after the atomic bomb was dropped in World War II.

Noguchi's Black Sun sculpture in Seattle
Noguchi’s Black Sun sculpture in Seattle

The Romans built the Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany, but it didn’t acquire that name before the sandstone darkened over the centuries.

The Porta Nigra in Trier
The Porta Nigra in Trier

Black has a habit of flattening the curved surfaces on a car, but no other colour says ‘Mafia Boss’ the same way.

1949 Mercury at a car meeting in Burbank
1949 Mercury at a car meeting in Burbank

It may be a very subdued and conservative tone but it also accentuates brighter colours set against it. The absence of light only serves to highlight it; what isn’t there is just as important as what is present.

Mexico City by night from a plane
Mexico City by night from a plane on my way to Guanajuato
Oskar Schindler's enamelware factory, Krakow
Oskar Schindler’s enamelware factory, Krakow

See all the World Colours posts: Red, Orange, Yellow (Part 1, Part 2), Green, Blue, Purple, White, Black

See also  World Colours - Purple