Love Letters in Crayon: Indigo
Somewhere between Blue and Purple lies exceptional whimsy.
Every Friday afternoon, “64 to Infinity: Love Letters in Crayon” will illustrate the long, strange story of humankind in one of the 64 colors that make up this world-famous primary palette. This week holds ample interest across art and science, drawing the two together like perhaps no other crayon in the box…after all, it was Issac Newton’s favorite. You are invited to indulge all of us in this week’s love letter to Indigo!
Indigo is most widely recognized as a shade that scintillates somewhere between the reassuring familiarity of blue hues and the uninhibited flair of violet tones.
As a result, appreciating the true complexity of this color is as simple as trying to pin down its exact position on the visual spectrum...or even its objective existence.
Although pigments that may be described by a given observer as indigo have appeared in human design since Mesopotamia, many of our world's foremost experts in æsthetics--even, it is rumoured, the author of this book--still disagree on what exactly Indigo is.
This nebulous nature infuses the concept of the color with a sense of hidden depth that has catalyzed genius in creative minds for hundreds of years.
The controversy around this crayon bloomed into human consciousness in the time of Isaac Newton. His interest in both alchemy and Greek mythology sought to establish a direct synchronicity between the 7 full musical notes and the colors of the visual spectrum, misaligning the magnetism of the two chromatic scales for a monumental plot twist in the Color Canon.
Placing a very human thumb on the scales of history, Newton employed the influence he had built over years as a great thinker to imbue the future with his enchanted indulgences, editing his favorite color into the conventional grouping of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet.
The historically venerated Man of Science would doubtless be overjoyed with the gravity his precious Indigo has maintained in the centuries since.
To this day, use of this esoteric shade is often limited to deeply self-actualized individuals who seek to make a powerfully perceptible mark against a world of Black and White.
Burdened with few links to nationalist fervor or entrenched political movements, it reflects hope for a more mindful future and offers a reminder of humanity's hand in its own fate.
With a velvety tonal richness and uniquely captivating appeal, Indigo secured its spot in the spectrum through sheer beauty alone. Whether one is tuned into its mystic character is certainly subjective, but its continued significance is an indisputable nod to the childlike whimsy of even the most studious and logical men to ever walk The Planet, and now you see why I am obsessed with this color.
Indigo is a hard act to follow for pure beauty and appeal…it hit Newton so hard he forgot how to count! Luckily, next week’s Love Letter to Big Crayon’s rendition of Lavender will make up the difference in pure controversy…check it out next week!
Hey, AJ here. You’ve already made my day by taking the time to check out this selection from my book, “64 to Infinity: Love Letters in Crayon!” Most writers live and die without ever being appreciated, and so every moment of your time is a personal gift to me.
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