Roger, Artists can depict with color feelings and abstractions - things, un-see-able to the eye. Eyes evolved in dozens of ways. In an infinite universe it is probably better to be an artist than a scientist to imagine fanciful ways of seeing colors. But if you need some basis in science to get you going try wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision FYI us primates have three types of color receptors - mantis shrimp have twelve! They make convincing "aliens": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomatopod How about art with this kind of stuff: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811092450.htm AZ LOOKAROUND - Since 1978 Build a 120/35mm Lookaround! The Lookaround E-Book FREE COPY http://www.panoramacamera.us > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [SPAM] Re: Imaginary colors Speculation > From: Roger Eichhorn <eichhorn@xxxxxx> > Date: Mon, November 09, 2009 8:18 pm > To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students > <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > It would be nice if some actual vision scientists would weigh in on > this issue. Anyone know one? I do, but am reluctant to contact them > for fear of asking naive questions that would display me as a fool! > Roger > On 9 Nov 2009, at 1:38 PM, Laurenz Bobke wrote: > > Hmm, > > > > being addicted to photography, we're of course tempted to assume that > > the eye was primarily created for us to produce and appreciate art. > > > > But, seen from a scientific point of view,isn't an eye just an organ > > developed to grant its possessor an evolutionary advantage? > > Even plants can detect the direction from which light falls on them > > and adjust accordingly. > > For just about any organism, the most important function of any eye > > would be to find food and avoid becoming food for others, I assume, > > followed by the need to find a mate and to communicate. > > Consequently, our eyes are quite sensitive for green as this happens > > to be the colour of plants using chlorophyll to convert sunlight into > > usable energy. > > Maybe, if they used a slightly different molecule, our eyes would be > > optimised for a slightly different spectrum? > > I assume that any "alien" would be adapted to his/her/its/? > > environment, depending on the light spectrum emitted by the local > > star(s), the availability of chemical elements and the course of the > > evolution on their world. > > > > Perhaps, those aliens would find beauty in a certain balance of > > colours and a geometry relevant to their species and find it difficult > > to relate to our concepts. > > > > Just a thought, > > > > Laurenz > > http://www.travelphoto.net/ > > > > > > 2009/11/9, lookaround360@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <lookaround360@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > >: > >> DDB, > >> > >> That poses an interesting problem. What kind of pigments would a > >> non-human use? I'm think something in UV range made from fluorescing > >> minerals or something like that. There are some artist pigments that > >> change colors depending on angle of light. Looks way-cool in gallery. > >> Move your head a bit and what was one color changes to another. > >> I'll see > >> if I can find example from a gallery show we had last spring. > >> > >> AZ > >> > >> LOOKAROUND - Since 1978 > >> GET FREE COPY > >> Build a 120/35mm Lookaround! > >> The Lookaround E-Book 5ed. > >> http://www.panoramacamera.us > >> > >> > >> > >>> -------- Original Message -------- > >>> Subject: [SPAM] Re: Imaginary colors Speculation > >>> From: David Dyer-Bennet <dd-b@xxxxxxxx> > >>> Date: Sun, November 08, 2009 12:39 pm > >>> To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students > >>> <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>> PhotoRoy6@xxxxxxx wrote: > >>>> In a message dated 11/7/2009 11:46:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, > >>>> dd-b@xxxxxxxx writes:Your first two sentences may be tautologically > >>>> true (if you're asserting > >>>> that "color" is a human construct), but it's also useless. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Now I titled my email "Imaginary colors Speculation" What I am > >>>> saying > >>>> is that there is no colors that we don't see (as a group). That > >>>> there > >>>> is no new color you can get by other means. When bats view sound > >>>> waves > >>>> if they see this as color it is of our spectrum but I suspect there > >>>> brain senses sound waves as some sort of pattern. > >>>> There is no point in searching for other colors. > >>> At least short of brain modification, surgically or through genetic > >>> engineering. > >>> Not that I'm volunteering to be a test subject!!!! > >>> There was an interesting bit in a very fine SF novel not mostly > >>> about > >>> sight (this was just a side detail), where it became relevant > >>> dealing > >>> with an alien species that they used different pigments in their > >>> visual > >>> receptors than we did. Hence blended colors, which is to say > >>> nearly all > >>> reproduced images and even original paintings, looked different to > >>> them > >>> than they did to us. Their artists were talking about trying to > >>> figure > >>> out how to paint for a human audience. > >>> -- > >>> David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b@xxxxxxxx; http://dd-b.net/ > >>> Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/ > >>> Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/ > >>> Dragaera: http://dragaera.info > >> > >> > >
