Last Updated on 07/09/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
With certain colors known to bring out strong emotions and meanings, Aldo Chacon explores what the color red evokes in a personal series
We are often drawn to vibrant photos and artworks with clever color play and complementary palettes. Los Angeles-based Mexican photographer Aldo Chacon, however, also reminds us that individual colors also make striking and often emotional imagery on their own in one of his personal works. Aptly titled RED, his series is a simple yet effective exploration into the emotions, symbolism, and effects that the fiery color brings about.
Everyone will agree that red is a very emotionally strong color known as the color of love, passion, and courage. Artists and creatives familiar with color theory are also aware that red is the color to use for catching attention, creating highly energetic imagery, and stimulating people to make quick decisions. In his RED series, Aldo presents a collection of images that are predominantly or noticeably red, not only as an exploration of the color, but also to dive into its meaning and what it makes us feel.
“RED is a project that is created with the purpose of looking at things beyond of what they really are. Through the combination of real and surreal elements and moments I try to take an audience on a visual journey into exploring things we see on our daily life but with an added twist. Red is one of the most powerful colors and I believe that serves as a basis to explore all human feelings, starting from love and ending in fear,” Aldo explains in the statement he sent us.
Right off the bat, we can take the varied selection of subjects and scenarios as a color study, with some being expected to come in red, others leaning more towards surreal imagery. But as we progress into Aldo’s set, we can see how he plays on our perception of what naturally comes in this fiery hue, and how it transforms a scene into something dramatic or otherworldly. It’s a simple exercise, but can also be taken in a more specific direction, like portraits or conceptual photography. That’s something I’d like to see Aldo do the next time he does a color exploration.
Check out Aldo Chacon’s website to see more of RED and the rest of his works.