Victoria Alexander's third book 'Colour - a journey' explores the history and meaning of colour with the aim of inspiring readers to make their own creative choices. We talked to Victoria about the huge part colour plays in her life, and about her travels through India, Africa and around the world. As well as being a passionate traveller, Victoria has created many amazing projects here in Australia. As well as working in fashion and interiors, she established her own film production company, Sydney's first boutique hotel, The Russell, and The Bathers' Pavilion restaurant and cafe at Balmoral Beach. We have one copy of her new book to give away - for your chance, leave a comment here on the blog (full details at the bottom of the post).



Could you imagine your new book 'Colour a journey' anywhere but India?
Joyous Indian colour and the way they put it together was the catalyst for the idea and there certainly are many images from India in the book but the 300 odd pages contain colour inspirations from nine additional countries as well – many from Ethiopia, and some from Laos, Vietnam, China, Syria, Iran, Spain, France and Australia. Northern Indian light is similar to Italian light and they both embrace colour in interesting ways so had there been the space and budget to include some Italian colour interpretations along with dense Irish greens, authentic Mexican hacienda style and embroidery, Cuban chic shabbiness, Caribbean coolness, Japanese assured restraint, and Vietnamese minority tribal dress, now that would have been heavenly.  And that's just the beginning - thankfully leaving something to explore in another book.



Is it satisfying to be both the photographer and the writer of a project like this?
Very much so. For me they are inseparable. Some of my ideas begin with an image, while others begin with words.  I love photography because it's about interpreting how you see the world into a single image. It's a reason to meet people, a way of becoming closer to another culture.  A cause for interaction.  Shooting portraits means gaining the trust of the person I want to shoot to be able to capture the intrigue I see in that person – it needs to become their moment.  There's also the technical side to it that brings rewarding, sometimes frustrating, challenges with it.  Similarly I love writing, but for different reasons.  Following leads while doing  research can lead you to places that are not at all where you thought you would go. There's always so much more to learn and the search for a perfect way to express something is constant.  Writing is solitary while photography takes me out into the world so between the two there's a wonderful balance. I can and do get completely immersed and lost in both.



Why is colour so important? And what inspired you to write a book about it?
It enriches our lives, can be comforting, or arouse us. We summarise ourselves in our appearance and make simple subliminal choices involving colour daily, from the colour we write with, our toothbrush or our mug without giving it much thought, yet it has a subtle and meaningful affect on us. Colour speaks to all of us all the time with it's a silent language yet is so often taken for granted, forgotten. It's freely available, constant, and powerful - tells us when food is ripe, plants are suffering, or when it's going to rain and so much more.

We all use it in our own unique way; it's a part of what makes us individual. Its tones can be as stimulating or as dull as you make them. It's all about combinations and placement. Without it there would be no art, uniforms would not exist, and we would lack a means of self-expression.

Travelling was my inspiration, it highlighted our conservative use of colour, in particular northern India where I am constantly moved by the combinations they use. Building exteriors, road and field workers wear layers that could be inspiration for many an intelligent designer.  The idea felt like a natural follow on to One, a continuation of the celebration of individuality.



You pepper the book with inspirational quotes and thoughts.  Is it important to you that the book is not only a visual feast but also directs thought?
Yes, very important. The thoughts and quotes are like colour – useful everyday things that make you feel good.  Colour is about making connections, is holistic in approach with some history, cultural antidotes, there's bits about how it's made, and purposefully no place names for where the images are taken to make you wonder where they could be as a reminder that we are all more alike than at first it may seem. With each inspiration relating to the feeling of the image and colour every page has been treated like a small chapter so you can read it as a continuum or dip in and out at whim.

Choosing the size and the feel of the book was as important to me as the content as I want it to be taken seriously as a book to be read, and not a book just to be glanced through and then left alone on a table somewhere. I want colour understood for the important role it plays.



Do you believe colour creates an emotional response?
It's undeniable.

Colour affects our mood, our emotions, which in turn have an affect on our decisions. Colour can be used to gauge or create a mood, a fluctuation or a difference. Certain colours used in hospitals have a healing affect, in jails they are used for their calming affect, while others alert us to danger.

Colour fades and contains memories and evokes the past. Used differently culturally for celebrations or in mourning it holds traditions together. Think of the different reactions to a white flag of surrender or indeed any flag if you're in any doubt.



How do you hope readers will feel while engaging with your work?
I want to encourage people to reconsider how they see and use colour. To embrace it's beauty and engage with it, to work out a palette that feels right for them and make it their own. So often people associate the word colour just with primary colours yet when warm and cool grays are mixed together, or hand dyed indigo and the palest smoky blue gray they resound.

I've had wonderful feedback from people saying reading Colour made them feel joyous. This is everything I hoped for.  I hope they will share that feeling.

Images courtesy of Victoria Alexander. Portrait of Victoria by Ray Lawrence.



To win a copy of Colour - a journey by Victoria Alexander, leave a comment here on the blog before 5pm (AEDT) on Friday 4 January 2013. You must be a member of Temple & Webster to enter, and you may only enter once. We will choose our favourite comment, and will notify the winner via their Facebook page or at the email address attached to their Temple & Webster account by Tuesday 8 January 2013. If we are unable to make contact with you via either of those methods within 30 days, we'll choose another winner. Good luck! 

Update 7 January 2012: Congratulations to Jill Chamberlain Cooke, the winner of Colour - a journey!