Aesthetic Experience from Thai Colors

Abstract

This research aimed to study Thai traditional pigments that have been used as materials for art and craft in the country for centuries. The name of pigments and the obsolete process of producing and using them were investigated through books, researches, and interviews with specialists. The information gained was synthesized and organized in order to create an international system of color database. Furthermore, the research analyzed a relationship between specific colors and religious symbols of Buddhism especially. The knowledge gained from this research was regarded as foundation for a set of three installation artworks. The artworks aimed to create an aesthetic experience for audiences based on Thai traditional pigments and their tones. The installation artworks were based on red color as a representation of heaven in a Thai symbolic system. The artworks were named after symbolic meanings that include Thai Putta (Buddha Gold), Kram Yad Maha Natee Si Thundorn (The Great Ocean Indigo), and Chad Davadung (Tavatimsa Vermillion). The result of this research is not only to conserve the traditional knowledge of pigments, but also to produce the international system of Thai traditional colors for a future usage in design and visual art.