Whitescapes - Odili Donald Odita by PBS Digital Studios

I watched the video on Whitescapes and I will say that the concepts brought up were very interesting. In the first half of the video, Odili explained his process of creating his art, which can be described as abstract. He explained his interaction with color and all the analysis that goes into color, most of which I never would have even thought about. He talked about how he puts colors into a time period and how his past experiences with his mom shaped that view in his head. He also mentioned the difference between time period specific colors and then pop colors. I can understand what he means with the timed colors because I have read and seen with my own eyes that certain colors where more prevalent and widely used in some time periods rather than others. So when we see that color scheme together it can remind us of a certain time or setting. Odili then started getting into how colors change depending on how they are displayed and the lighting in the room and that discussion led us into whitescapes.

When the idea of whitescapes is first introduced I understood the concept, but then found issue when it was put into practice. I can see how a color can change based on the scale and the lighting that it is under. We see things differently when it is displayed differently. However, when Odili led the demonstration with the three different types of whites I found it less amusing. It almost seemed forced in my opinion. He compared the whites and started reassigning with these colors that were totally abstract from what was being shown. I could recognize that there was a difference in the three white pieces, but I did not see a pink and blue when I compared them. He said that the use of the word "white" itself was confusing because there are so many different colors that things really are and we just make ourselves to believe that they are white. To be truly accurate we must identify colors and call them by their true name.

I can appreciate Odili and many artists area of expertise but in my opinion this level of detail is only really useful and relevant to a handful of people. Depending on the context and use, being able to decipher between the different colors of white in a painting or canvas is not a skill or discrepancy that most people care to acknowledge. If my brain has been morphed to believe that all white is created equal then so be it. I don't see how that makes my life or my experience any less meaningful. I think our brains subconsciously does the distinction for us. For example, if I go to buy a car and the salesman shows me two different styles and tells me that both are white. I might be able to tell that the two whites are not the same, and I will pick the white that I prefer. In that case, I can see where the distinction is necessary, but between this piece of paper and the next is less needed in my opinion.