Visual StudiesDahlia R. Roberts
THE CULTURAL PERCEPTION OF SPACE AND COLOR: AN APPROACH TO CARIBBEAN REGIONALISM
Architecture commands a prominent position in the study of the visual world. However, much of this architectural exploration has revolved around an analysis of form rather than studies of how people identify and react to their environment. In order to make the connection between the cultural identity of a place and its architecture, one has to look beyond questions of form, geography and history and delve into matters of cultural perceptions of space and color. A promising subject for this type of cultural analysis is the Caribbean region where the unique identity of the people is closely tied to its architecture. This study seeks to understand the particularities of the Caribbean identity and how this identity is reflected in Caribbean architecture of the 21st century. At the heart of this investigation is a study of perceptions of color and reactions to space and the environment. An understanding of these issues will shed light on Caribbean architecture beyond the formal aesthetics often studied. It will also provide an avenue for the study of a Caribbean Regionalism that goes beyond the superficial factors of geography, climate and the traditional colonial model.
SECTOR B: Art & Culture of Seeing
ADVISERS: Richard Wesley | David Brownlee