Wayfinder: Color Study - Fluorescents

Common Fluorescents

Luminous paints have been played with since the late 1800's by the few and in limited applications on such things as fishing lures and control panels. It wasn't until the 1930's that the colors became known and available to the masses. This was due to Bob Switzer, and his brother, in Berkeley California who made a concerted effort to find naturally luminescent compounds and experimented with mixing them in wood varnish. This would be the start of the term and company Day-Glo. Shortly after, the Second World War started and there were practical applications for these new pigments within the armed forces who were finding that they sometimes needed to be highly visible to each other for safety reasons.

Book about the Switzers

The alarming colors work by using a larger amount of the visible spectrum and lower wavelengths compared to conventional colors. They not only absorb light and convert light energy of the dominant wavelength but also the wavelengths of ultraviolet rays and other colors lower in the visible spectrum. As a result, your eyes perceive a far more vivid color. And why a black light (ultraviolet) illuminates them to such intensity.

Alameda Theater (San Antonio, TX) 1948 mural done in luminescent paint (L-in tungsten light, R-in ultraviolet light)

This effect found post war popularity in the entertainment industry where the novelty and vibrancy lent itself to fantasy. In the 60's and 70's it became synonymous with the psychedelic movement in the form of posters (the famous black light posters) and decorations. As well, pop artists, like Warhol, of the time reflected on this and applied the pigments to their works. Of course there were many other more utilitarian applications for these loud colors, most notably for safety gear and signs. Of course the 80's and 90's saw neon fashions and accents everywhere. Contemporary artists are continuing to explore fluorescents, mainly in the street and pop scenes, and the commercial realms still seem to be finding applications for the colors.