AIC Annual Newsletter 2011

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this, the second edition of the AIC Newsletter under my term as Editor. It is really pleasing to see the diversity and strength of activity related to colour in every AIC member country. A theme running through many of the articles this year is the blend of science and design, particularly in relation to colour in architecture and lighting. The recent advent of LED sources seems to be generating a strong upsurge of interest in coloured illumination for both outdoor and indoor spaces.

The AIC 2010 interim meeting in Argentina was full of energy and character, in the charming seaside resort of Mar del Plata. It was a tribute to the boundless energy of José Luis Caivano, former President of AIC, and Omar Burgos, Chairman of the Argentine Colour Group, and the great work of the local organising committee that the event was such a success. Full reports can be found on pages 10-11. For me it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to present a short course ‘An Introduction to Colour Measurement’ to an expert audience on the day before the conference opened.

A distinguished invited speaker was overheard saying to a lady during lunch on the AIC Saturday excursion: “Madam, may I squeeze it for you ... or would you prefer to squeeze it for yourself?” It transpired that he was talking about the lemon garnish on the main course, but it demonstrates the rich potential of the subject of ‘Colour and Food’!
A feature article is included on the CREATE network, a European project which through a series of colourful events over the past four years has succeeded in training over 400 researchers with the assistance of some 100 experts – an outstanding achievement! Although this was not specifically an AIC activity, many AIC members were involved.
It is impressive in reading the articles in this issue to see how many conferences related to colour were held in 2010, many of them with an international character. This amply demonstrates the social aspects of the subject, because colour is both a personal perception and a shared experience. Notable events were ‘Colour and Child’ in Bulgaria, ‘Colour in Graphics, Imaging and Vision’ in Finland , ‘Farbe in der Bilding’ in Germany , ‘Gumi International Color & Urban Design Forum’ in Korea , ‘IXth National Congress’ in Spain , ‘11th International Conference on Color Design, Applications and Science’ in Taiwan, and ‘Color Standards’ in the USA .
The five AIC Study Groups have been active during the year, and their reports indicate strong focussed activity in their various fields. Of particular interest is the experimental apparatus being developed by Dr Okajima for study of colour perception of the elderly. Through such research and communication the AIC is making valuable contributions to the global understanding of colour.