Color Stories | Indigo
What do mystics and denim have in common?
With a background in art and psychology, there is something about color and mood that has always intrigued me. You look at a color and get an instant feeling. It’s as though there is an unconscious and direct line to the core of your being, your thoughts, your emotions.
There is a growing body of work that suggests that colors tap into different parts of the brain, creating consistent neural responses, possibly a survival mechanism. For example, we see red and think danger. In addition to these hardwired reactions, we all develop a lifetime of experiences and associations with particular colors that are more nuanced. Somewhere in between the universal primal response and the individual acquired association is the history and symbology of color that has shaped our collective unconscious in ways in which we are not fully aware. Consider this the first in a series exploring the latter.
The color indigo is apparently one of the more controversial colors in the spectrum — Isaac Newton introduced this color to mirror the seven-point musical scale developed by Descartes — but not all people can actually distinguish the color from blue. In addition to this ROYGBIV oddity, indigo is one of the few colors that is also a dye, or substance itself. This gives it a particularly rich history, with many symbolic associations related to the color but also to the dye process and physical properties.
While the skies and seas often have an indigo hue, it is especially rare in animals or edibles. Because it is so scarcely seen in nature, blue and purple pigments have had special or royal connotations. Additionally, indigo dyes often have been thought to have magical qualities due to the change from yellow to blue with exposure to oxygen during the dyeing process. Indigo dyers were often seen as specialists and guarded their secrets closely, passing on the mystery to the next generation.
An interesting magic parallel is found in yogic tradition dating back many centuries, with the color indigo being linked to the third-eye point (between the brows) which has long been associated with intuition, wisdom, and honesty. It is believed that this area of the body is the gateway to peaceful clear thinking and the ability see beyond yourself. Yogis have thought that this portal offered access to the spiritual world and enlightenment.
Looking at indigo symbolism in artwork, the color was often used for magical and prophetic figures such as the Virgin Mary and Merlin, among others, to show that there was a connection beyond this world. This sort of clairvoyant power to see and connect to other realms made a mystic a trusted source of wisdom and clarity at the time. Even today, indigo has the power to psychologically transform and imbue one with feelings of focused insight and calming intuition.
In regards to the dyestuff, indigo was the first natural dye found by humans (dating around 7th century BC). While thought to originate from India, it has played a central role in textile traditions in many Asian cultures. In Japan, indigo rose to prominence due to its ease of dying cotton fibers which fostered an artistry with the many patterns made possible in their shibori dyeing traditions. Across Asia and Africa, the prestigious darker tones were often used in religious and spiritual rituals (an interesting contrast to the counterculture association with faded denim).
Indigo remained a rare commodity for the wealthy for centuries until an alternative method using woad (rather than the indigo plant) was discovered. This new method dramatically proliferated the use of indigo and opened up production and trade of it worldwide. Around the same time indigo became a major cash crop for many plantations in European colonies including the US. It seems that this was the tipping point for the democratization of indigo (and possibly a loss of some of its magic).
Indigo became a commodity, making it an accessible color used for practical fabrics. It was made further commonplace by its association with denim, which was dyed blue because indigo was extremely colorfast and durable after many washes. The unwavering popularity of denim helped to keep indigo from being phased out completely.
Whether indigo is seen as common or special today is really dependent on the context and treatment. However, it seems that there is an enduring magical quality that always sits at the core, whether it’s a shibori kimono or your favorite pair of blue jeans.
Carrie Patterson Reed is a Senior Manager at Olson Zaltman, where she analyzes the stories we craft about ourselves and the world around us, to better understand how we unconsciously frame ideas, values, and identity.
