Bi-level perception and color modes. Contrast ratio and complementarity of colors

Abstract

For the “Self”, color is a color text, a structure consisting of two elements: internal context (content: tone, saturation, brightness) and external context (conditions under which color actualizes in a situation: lightness, proximity, etc.). Perception of the color is when the content overlays the conditions. The modes of color are revealed depending on the ratio of indicated contexts. There are three color modes: visible, invisible, and colorless. The goal of this article is to describe the color modes, and their correlation with contrast and complementarity of colors, what entails bi-level perception of color. The article employs situational and phenomenological approaches. Visible color for the “Self” occurs when the internal context completely overlays the external context. Invisible color occurs in the presence of internal context and absence of one or more external factors: no tone, no contrast with background, etc. “Colorless” mode occurs when the internal context is not fully set in the situation of presence of the external context: no tone, saturation, or brightness. Color in the “colorless” mode is achromatic. The compatibility of separate colors within the color text leads to the phenomena of complementarity and contrast ratio, which are interrelated with the color modes. There are two levels of color perception: 1) fundamental, i.e. is the perception of achromatic color with gradations from sharply white to pure black; gray color with varying degrees of brightness is present in chromatic colors (as the “base”); 2) perception of the chromatic colors, founded on the colorless “base”. Such bi-level perception of color is substantiated by the fact that the consciousness seeks harmony and balance, i.e. minimization of perception of the visual.