Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color, on view at the Cooper Hewitt through January 13, explores the elusive, complex phenomenon of color perception and how it has captivated artists, designers, scientists and philosophers. Featuring over 190 objects spanning from antiquity to the present, the exhibition reveals how designers apply the theories of the world's greatest color thinkers to bring order and excitement to the visual world.
"Color has been studied for centuries and yet there is still much to learn about its properties," said Caroline Baumann, director of the museum. "From rare first editions of texts codifying color theory to iconic works from designers who are color masters, manipulating and materializing truly astonishing effects, the exhibition draws on the extraordinary collections of Smithsonian Libraries and Cooper Hewitt to examine how design advances our understanding of what can be achieved when we experiment and innovate with color."
The exhibition is installed in the museum's second-floor permanent collection galleries and is co-curated by Jennifer Cohlman Bracchi, librarian at Smithsonian Libraries, and Susan Brown, associate curator of textiles at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Photo: Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt