On the Sixth Day God Created Colour
SIMON PRAIS
First Published 2022
Full colour on 170 gsm art paper throughout
144 pages, casebound 251 x 256mm
ISBN: 9781399922142
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RRP £45 | €55 | US $59
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Gematriart introductory explanation
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Forty full page image ‘works of Gematriart’ each presented with explanatory notes and associated discoveries
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Appendices – including ‘Torah through the spectroscope’,
the colour science and Torah behind Gematriart -
Fold-out Torah Hues chart (reverse of wrap around sleeve)
Launch Offer – Free Delivery UK, EU and USA.
Or buy in-store at: Pomeranz Bookseller, Jerusalem.
Introduction to the Chromatics
The Gematriart colour palette of the Torah provides the inspiration for each Gematriart image. I established the colour palette by aligning the Torah text to colour science.
A Kabalistic (Jewish mystic) approach to Torah interpretation is through gematria. Every letter of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a numeric value and subsequently every word of the Torah is represented as the total value of its constituent letters. The smallest word value in the Torah text is the Hebrew word ‘av’ meaning father (or ‘bo’ meaning come), both words comprising of the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. A value of 1 and 2, resulting in a gematria word value of 3. Comparably the highest value word is ‘tistarer' meaning to rule over, which has a gematria word value of 1,500. The results a a Torah word value scale of 3 – 1500.
The gematria individual letter values
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Colour is measured scientifically in terms of its wavelength (and reciprocal wave-frequency). The range of perceptually distinct colours spans the wave-frequency range 380 – 780 THz (Terahertz). Apparent in nature through the appearance of a rainbow – the spectrum displayed in its natural wave-frequency sequence; red, orange, yellow, green, blue [cyan], indigo [blue] and Violet.
The spectral colour wave-frequency scale
My algorithm is a linear mapping of the gematria Torah word scale 3–1500 onto the colour wave-frequency scale 380–780 THz. As illustrated below, this results in the Hebrew words for the primary colours, red, yellow, green, blue, all falling in their associated spectral range.
Gematriart word value to spectral wave-frequency scale
Colour is three-dimensional, it is not only defined by a pure hue of red, yellow, orange, green...., but each hue can have any intensity saturation (the lower the saturation the closer to a neutral grey), and any intensity of brightness (the lower the brightness, the closer to black).
• Maximum saturation and brightness results in a bright pure colour hue
• Minimum saturation with maximum brightness results in white
• Minimum saturation with minimum brightness results in black
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Tonal range for a single red hue:
Hue 5R (Red) and tonal variations in the Munsell Book of Color
Learn how tone is applied to Gematriart, experience fascinating coincidences evident from my artworks, and more – all detailed in:
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“On the Sixth Day, God Created Colour”.
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