Art world is ablaze with the fiery appeal of red; from clothing to furniture to accessories and more, red is the `new black.' And the art market is hot on the trail of this trend

Art Business News, April, 2002 by Jessica Lyons

The art industry is seeing red these days. The color of blood, fire and wine, red evokes feelings of love and anger, passion and intrigue. While red has traditionally been a dominant color on Latin American canvases, it's now making a bold appearance from a variety of artists and a wide range of art, from limited editions and originals to posters.

But the art industry is not alone. Color experts, interior designers and fashionistas all agree: right now, red is red hot in everything from home decor to evening wear to iMacs. They say it's got staying power, too.

"Red has always been a color of drama--something that heightens whatever environment it's created in, as a color element in the clothing market, the furnishings market and certainly the wall decor market," said Buster Baba of Seattle-based Grand Image. "If it's the predominant color in a piece, it automatically becomes a dramatic piece. An artist has to feel really strong about his or her piece of art to do it in red. Whenever we're feeling really comfortable about making dramatic statements, you'll find that red will pop up."

The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York recently explored the symbolic and aesthetic power of the color red in fashion and culture with a stunning exhibition called "Red." Red in fashion is a glamorous, powerful color, much beloved by fashion designers. FIT's exhibition included approximately 100 examples of clothing, accessories and textiles in every shade of red from crimson to scarlet. Highlights from the museum's collection included both historic and contemporary pieces. Dresses ranged from the red beaded Adrian sheath dress that Joan Crawford wore in the 1937 film The Bride Wore Red to a red silk taffeta evening gown by avant-garde designer Rei Kawakubo, who once declared, "Red is the new black!"

Red is also considered an auspicious color in many Asian cultures. Traditionally, Chinese and Indian brides wore red for happiness. In the West, however, red is often seen as dangerous and sexy. For some designers today, this is what makes red desirable: it evokes the drama of passionate sexuality.

"For symbolic and visual power, red has no rival ... except black," said Valerie Steele, acting director and chief curator of the Museum at FIT. "The little black dress is an icon of chic. But red has a unique allure."

Red Rooms

Artists and interior designers tend to take their cues from the fashion industry's palette, which may explain why the Color Marketing Group forecasts a strong Latin flavor for 2002, with additional influences from Morocco and Italy that will result in the appearance of lively reds, yellows and oranges.

"Red is one of the biggest colors in fashion right now, and it started back in the spring of 2001. The return of red was very, very strong," said Leatrice Eiseman, color specialist and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Although red made its comeback in the spring and fall of 2001, the color is reflective of what was going on a year and a half before that. "We were going through a very opulent period," Eiseman said, referring to the economic boom before the dot.com crash, "and red is a very celebratory color."

That was pre-Sept. 11. Post Sept. 11, red is not only chic in high-couture evening wear, but it's also a staple for tees, tanks and even denim. And now it's usually accompanied by white and blue.

"Right now, it's symbolic of our coming together and the patriotic feelings that have embraced our country since Sept. 11," Eiseman said. "What Sept. 11 does is prolong the color in the life of the marketplace. Now for spring and summer, we might see red splinter off so that the three colors are not necessarily used together."

As fashion goes red and the general public becomes more accustomed to vibrant colors, the color has also grown increasingly popular in interior design and home furnishing. It continues to gain momentum as Asian and Mediterranean themes become more prevalent in mainstream decorating. Red couches--almost unseen amidst the browns, beiges, mossy greens and taupes of the late '90s--are making their way into living rooms across the U.S.

"People are most sophisticated about color and for the most part, more willing to experiment with color," Eiseman added. "People realize you don't need to have all four walls painted red--maybe just one wall, one piece of furniture, one painting or one red accent piece. What has happened is that the entire realm of consumer thinking has opened up and embraced color, particularly red."

Alene Workman, an award-winning interior designer in Florida, said using red in interior design makes a loud statement about the client choosing red.

"A lot of people are afraid of red or will like just a very small amount of it in a room, but it shows a boldness that is underlying the personality that the person may not want to let out," Workman said. "It can be intimidating to some, but it shows power and self confidence in a client's ability to accept it. Red's a bold color, it's a color that packs a lot of punch. It shows power and self confidence, and it never goes out of style."