Two weeks ago, Andreu World presented “Mediterraneanism in Color”, a webinar created in collaboration with “the master hand of Giulio Ridolfo, one of the most prestigious international experts in the selection of colors, materials and finishes.”
The presentation gave attendees an opportunity to learn about how this company interacts with color, as well as the Mediterranean region’s relationship to color. Delivered by Sergio Chismol and moderated by Daniel Griñan, it was well-worth the time and a great example of fresh, valuable content that has a teaching element while deepening a connection with the Andreu World brand.
In Part I last week, we published a series of attendee questions posed during the presentation, followed by Mr. Chismol’s responses. The discussion was enlightening, offering a sincere view into the creative minds at work at Andreu World, and to the nuances of color.
“These are the colors which define our company,” said Mr. Chismol. “And these colors speak directly to our geographical region of the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean is an attitude to life. Each and all of these colors fits our visual and emotional culture. They represent movement, passion and intensity.”
This week, we’ve reprinted Messrs. Ridolfo and Chismol’s musings on each of the 12 colors that define the Andreu World brand – whites, yellows, reds, oranges, sands, greens, blues, blacks, non-blacks, earths, stones and woods. Included in the presentation was an opening note from Mr. Ridolfo himself:
“By starting to work on a series of colors that represented the essence of the Mediterranean, I realized that our culture, our way of living, is closely linked to handmade things, be it the activity of painting a house or cooking, because we are very attached to the colors of what we eat, to the preparation of things or the act of doing them.”
“The Mediterranean does not speak of exoticism but of a way of life that is related to experimentation, intuition, movement, lack of prejudice and, of course, the passion and intensity of our temperament that is perfectly reflected in our color preferences. Depth and serenity are our hallmark. That is why when choosing the colors that represent it, a great number of nuances are noticed. Each color in itself has different variations depending, among other things, on its exposure to light, which means that there are no absolute colors but relative and that are intimately linked to its emotional side. So much of the exercise of finding these twelve Mediterranean colors has been to find out what their most interesting variants are, always attending to their complexity and avoiding flat or obvious colors.”
“Another important thing for me is the sensuality of the colors. It is evident that there are colors in all parts of the world, they are not exclusive to our culture: our tones are special, different, and we cannot really speak of Mediterranean colors but of references that associate our culture with certain tones. How we use them and why we do it with more pleasure than in other parts of the world. Since color is something very abstract, we must associate it with touch, texture, with sensuality for its perception.”
WHITES
Sergio Chismol: “The color of sails, of the walls of Mediterranean houses and towns, of flowers, jasmine, and pearls.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “For me the great discovery of white in the Mediterranean was my first trip to Greece. The villages, the houses painted limestone white, as a form of sanitation, renovation, cleaning, in a somewhat liturgical way. It is a kind of powdered white, very tactile, velvety. Porous. It is a type of essential white that attracts because it is pure, deep. It is not a chemical color as it came out of a bucket of bleach, it is an organic white. That’s why I like to see it also in jasmine flowers or in flour, opaque tones with great depth. For us, white is related to the light of day, with the sun, it has something solemn but it is also the color of the principles, the color of the canvas, the color of clean clothes. I think it is the latitude that allows us to have such a pure white here in this part of the world because the position of the sun makes the light stronger and the white purer. There are many differences between white of day and that of night. Once I made a night garden only with white flowers and at night the white became magical, in fact, it is the first color you see in the night, it is self-reflective, very beautiful in the dark. I like white porcelain and other white details but it is also an environmental color that works well in large quantities. It is a great color: honest, original, immaculate.”
YELLOWS
Sergio Chismol: “A powerful color of optimism, and very present in everyday Mediterranean life. Radiant, like the sun, and also a color of food. We should use yellow in a limited way, as it can be too overpowering if used too much.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “Yellow is a fundamental color that represents well the Mediterranean area, which is very influenced by the sun. It is an optimistic and energetic color. Full of life. Cheerful. My first memory of yellows is a basket full of lemons. It is therefore a color linked to nutrition, to the kitchen, a color to which we are not afraid because we are accustomed to living with it and we use it in a very spontaneous way. The Nordic countries use it in a different way, almost therapeutic. For us it is not an imported color, it is native, which makes it work very well in our environment since it is very natural to us. It is also a color that is well related to the skin and has many different versions, from the most transparent tones to acid, greenish, and curry, to golden that is a variation. As it is a very vibrant color it is better to use it in small quantities, in small percentages. In the same way that I can support 100% of white, I can support only 10% of yellow. You have to dose it. It is very good to draw attention to a specific point in an environment. Add a radiant touch.”
REDS
Sergio Chismol: “Energetic and passionate, the color of life and love. Red is emotional, and immediately adds personality and strength to a space.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “Red is a color that shares its vibrant and energetic aspect with yellow and orange. It is very Mediterranean because, once again, it is very present in things that surround us in abundance like tomatoes, which makes it what I call a ‘nutritional’ color. On the other hand, it is the color of many flowers associated with our ecosystem such as hibiscus and geraniums. In the Mediterranean there is a lot of intense vermilion tone. It is for me the color of birth, of life, it is related to the heart, to the representation of love. And this is something very typical of the Mediterranean character where we are very willing to communicate our feelings, which are associated with red, with the emotional. Its variety of tones ranges from very dark to lighter, but in any case, red is a very attractive color, which has a lot of presence and which is able to define and mark a space. Therefore, it is frequently used to add drama and mystery to an environment. That resounding and full forceful way of occupying space does not go unnoticed.”
ORANGES
Sergio Chismol: The color of sunrises and sunsets, and of the orange fruit, which are best from Valencia, where we were born. Orange is a very active color, linked to movement and sport.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “Orange is a vitamin color, sports, the color of activity. Mediterranean sunrises and sunsets are painted in all shades of this color. Once again it is a “nutritional” color, which surrounds us in the form of oranges, carrots, pumpkins, melons, corals, tangerines, shrimp … It is among the colors that improve with daylight because it gives off light. That’s what you expect from an orange, that is alive, animated, that does not reduce its energy. In that it resembles yellow, however they are very different colors that do not allow one to be replaced by the other. It is a very graphic color and works very well in its glossy, patent versions. It is also a difficult color to combine with others, but its energy makes it used in small doses to be exposed and relevant to what you want to highlight.”
SANDS
Sergio Chismol: “In the Mediterranean, sand is a color in its own right, associated to the landscape and construction of buildings. It is subtle, and easy to combine with other colors. It is the color of columns, of comfort, and of security without risk.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “I like the idea of thinking of sand as a color in its own right, with all its variants and shades that go through the beiges and the persimmon, that color with its own name that is between the yellowish ocher and the greyish green. It is an architectural color, associated with construction, the color of the landscape in its crudest state. It is not a bright color that delimits well the contours, it is a soft color, very present in our environment and that is well assimilated. From the color of the skin to that of the beach, straw or esparto grass to military uniforms, through makeup, almonds or brown sugar, all shades are all around us. Sand is a responsible color, you use it because you do not want to compromise, it’s a neutral color. A color of security, without risk. Its best version is always in opaque, matte tones, which can be use profusely and in large quantities without fear of being wrong. All the gradations of the sand tones are very beautiful when they come together, it is very interesting to see how they enrich each other, how they acquire another complexity in their proximity.”
GREENS
Sergio Chismol: “Of nature, and of freshness, but at the same time, recalls sincerity, and wellbeing. Green is also a color of gastronomy – of olive oil, vegetables. And in the Mediterranean, the sea is also green, in addition to blue.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “Green is the color of nature. For some difficult reason to explain I associate green and not blue to sea water. It is also a color present in our orchard, in the tones of olive oil, grapes or glass. It is the color of abundance, a color that transmits freshness and at the same time tranquility. It is also a sincere and spontaneous color. What makes the Mediterranean green special is the diversity and quantity of its tones. This is important because it gives it its great complexity. The blue-green of the Mediterranean, I see it more liquid here than in other places. Austria, for example, is very defined by the green of its pines, but its shades of green are very different from ours. Their greens are mono-tones or monotonous, they lack tonalities and subtlety, very different from those of here that are very varied and in it lies their beauty. The green in our culture is as important as the sands or the lands because they dominate our daily life. It is also a versatile color that can be very deep at night. It is an opaque color that triumphs when bluish greens combine with greyish or green-green ones.”
BLUES
Sergio Chismol: “Blue is of the sky. In particular, indigo blue is important. It is used on the roofs of Mediterranean coastal towns. This color invites us to relax and to rest. It is used in ceramics and glass work, and is the favorite color of many artists.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “Blue is for me a color relative to transparency and I cannot consider as a solid color. That transparency is its best asset. It is ethereal. The first memory we have of it in our culture is always the color of the sky. Oxygen, ozone. Also, for some reason, many of the decorative objects that surround us, ceramic or glass, for example, they have blue motifs, which makes it a very everyday color. All the families of colors have different variations and there is always a tone that attracts me more, in the case of blue is the indigo. It is also perhaps the color most affected by the differences between night and day. It passes from the light blue tones of the morning to other tones that at night become dark and can become dramatic and mysterious. Why in the Mediterranean do we not use the celestial one much but we prefer a deeper shade of blue? Well, because we have it around, it is familiar to us and we recognize ourselves in it, it is not the light blue used in Denmark, for example. The tones of the Mediterranean cannot be found in Australia… theirs are very wild colors, which have no nuances. On the other hand, blue is the color of dreams. It is not an appropriate color to work with, because it is a color related to the soul, more suitable for meditation or relaxation spaces.”
BLACKS
Sergio Chismol: “The color of solemnity, inspiring respect, in both glossy and matte finishes. It is both functional and elegant. The color of asphalt and tar, and of sepia ink – it is also the color of forms, of drawing shapes and forms.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “The black in the Mediterranean is the color of tar in the asphalt and I especially like its bright side. It is also for us the color of mourning, rural clothing, crickets, nuns and priests, sepia ink…But the Mediterranean black is a black that has a certain transparency, is not solid, that in a certain way is not entirely pure, that is not evident. It’s the black of the night before the dead of night. Black is for me the color of forms, I always use it for that purpose when I draw. I like to add texture to them, to see how different types of black work together, both bright and matte, printed or smooth. I especially like velvets because of their depth.”
NON-BLACKS
Sergio Chismol: “Colors that look like black but are not black. Of blackberries, wine, and eggplant. Non-blacks are organic and add vibration to a space. They are intense colors, but more relaxed and less strict than blacks.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “What I call non-blacks colors are colors that look like black but are not. Here the eggplants, violets, amaranths, the wine color would be represented… These colors admit very bright versions, others opaque, or semi-transparent, they can all live together and mix well. Their contrasts are very interesting, organic and rustic. Their shapes are black but they always have something of another color inside them that gives them a different point, an added variation. What makes them specific to the Mediterranean? Many of them are very much ours, like vermouth and bulls. And other things with which we interact a lot from grapes and olives to graphite, carob bean, figs or mussel shells. The non-blacks are the new blacks, they are colors that can reach a great intensity but that nevertheless do not suppose a declaration of principles, whose use implicitly suggests a more relaxed and less strict way of living.”
EARTHS
Sergio Chismol: “Terracotta, brick, cinnamon, amber. Earth colors are subtle, with a wide range of tones. They are organic, sustainable, and natural.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “I also believe that earth tones are colors that are characteristic of the Mediterranean and that supports a wide range of tones. They are very varied colors, with a very broad palette, some soft more yellow, others pinker and others more forceful, rusty and very reddish. From the cinnamon to date through nut, brick, carnelian or amber. They are organic, sustainable colors. Colors that we identify around us and that give a certain sense of belonging to this latitude. They are associated with flexibility, malleability, as they are the tones of clay, terracotta. Solid, never transparent. In a way, it is archetypal. It is also dry. They are matte, dense, light-absorbing colors that contrast with powerful and clear colors such as white, blue or black. They work very well with the sands. They are quite neutral also but very warm, and great to use in large quantities.”
STONES
Sergio Chismol: “In the Mediterranean, stones are related to the warm gray touched by the sun. Stone is a very versatile and expressive color – the color of storms and of clouds. They are timeless colors.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “The idea regarding the stone colors is that I would like to mention some greyish tones but I do not consider that the grey itself is a Mediterranean color. In nature it is among the great colors: earths, sands and stones. I do not mean the color of the cement, I speak of a warm grey, the color of the storm or an afternoon of clouds. It is also a versatile and adaptable color, with very neutral tones that let you speak and acquire expressiveness to the other colors with which you mix very well. It can be a sad color… and of course it’s a discreet color. It can even be boring, so to take advantage of it you have to mix many tones, warm and cold, including silver. I like the colors of some sidewalks and pebble paths like the veneziano lavato. They are composed of small stones that together create color, as a sum of tones and with a kind of texture associated with it. It is a color of collectivity, used in public spaces such as banks or airports.”
WOODS
Sergio Chismol: “Wood is a very special color for us. It’s natural, organic, authentic. We can read a different story in every piece of wood. Wood is a memory in time. It is artisanal. And it is our favorite color because it tells the story of our company.”
Giulio Ridolfo: “For me, wood is contact, tactile. And it also talks about the natural. The authentic, the genuine. It is an ancestral material and that brings warmth. When wood grain become interesting, they tell us their story. My first memory of wood is a very rustic bench where I used to sit with my grandfather outside his house. Wood is a legacy, heritage, inheritance. It is something that is transmitted for generations. In the Mediterranean we have a tendency for wood to be very elaborate, carved, inlaid. In general, we decorate it, it is a kind of complex beauty, even if it is presented with very simple appearances. The wood itself is a color since you always call it by its name, not by its color. It is a case in which the material is designated by its entity. You do not call it a pear tree in any other way, nor do you mention its color. Color is implicit in its name, in its essence. In the Mediterranean we are surrounded by utensils of olive tree root, walnut and oak furniture, the shade of pine trees and eucalyptus trees. The use of bamboo, rattan and other canes is also part of our culture, always with its own color. The good thing about wood is that its complexion, its skin, its texture and its appearance, already speaks of a feeling of color, is implicit in the material because it is natural.”
