Living Coral, and Why You'll be Seeing This Colour Everywhere

Tropical coral - urbanized.  That's the vibe around this coming year's Pantone Colour of the Year, Living Coral,  an orange base with gold undertones.  It is the colour of unbleached coral, sunsets and sunrises.  Pantone executives, who search the world for colour trends in film, art galleries, on the streets, and on the catwalks, say the world needs this warm and welcoming colour right now.

The Executive Director of the Pantone Colour Institute, Leatrice Eiseman says Living Coral, "represents a feeling that's out there in the zeitgeist".  In these troubled times, who doesn't love watching a sunrise or sunset?

Critics point out the irony of surrounding ourselves with painted walls, furniture, coffee mugs, and clothing in Greenery (2017) and Living Coral (2019) colours, when the planet's forests and coral are disappearing.  It is as if we are finding comfort in, and surrounding ourselves with the very colours which are disappearing in nature.

The Great Barrier Reef, is the world's largest coral reef system.  It's so big, you can see it from outer space!  In 2015, there were 2 billion living corals in the reef.  Half of them are now dead!  That's in just over two years.  

What happened?  Two back to back bleaching events in the Summers of 2016, and 2017 caused a fifty percent decline in corals across the 14-hundred mile stretch of Australian coastline.  Bleaching isn't like dropping Clorox into the ocean, it has to do with killing off the photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae) which attaches itself to the coral, and gives the coral its colour. The algae "nest" in the coral, and feed the coral through photosynthesis.  With ocean temperatures rising, the coral panic, and eject the algae, leaving the coral colourless.  Without the algae, the now bleach-white coral soon dies. 

Pantone's Vice President, Laurie Pressman says, "with everything that's going on today...we're looking toward those colours that bring nourishment and the comfort and familiarity that make us feel good".  Pressman says this year's colour is, "not too heavy.  We want to play.  We want to be uplifted.  It's the emotional nourishment.  It's the big hug."  Maybe more than a big hug, orange is the colour of the second Chakra which has to do with sex...and creativity.

 

 

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.