What Colour Is a Ghost
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21687833 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alvin Eng Hui Lim (0000-0001-9118-4551, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 45-55 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Performance Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1352-8165 • E-ISSN: 1469-9990 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13528165.2024.2569217 |
| OpenAlex | W7141087867 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
This article explores the colours of spectral possessions and ghostly appearances in performance forms such as gezai xi from Taiwan, thaumaturgical consultations where human mediums possessed by underworld Chinese deities instinctively know to use green and blue lighting to light the room, and music concerts (or getai) for the deceased in graveyards during the annual Hungry Ghost Festival. The lighting choices and the staging suggest a serious commitment to set the stage for spirits to make an appearance. Coloured ghosts also communicate our relationship with technology. Like a light spectrum that disperses rays and shadows and forms an afterimage, ghost performances vary along a spectrum. They cover ghostly appearances that are framed by an excessive display of colours, lights and images that transform spaces into places of entertainment. The colours become cultural templates of conjuring ghosts to dwell among the living. In popular culture and as a cinematic genre, the choice of colour projects a syncretic expression of ghosts, offering a spectacle that may frame ghosts as constructs as well as a cultural product that is deeply rooted in religious belief. While technological lights reflect little of their actual existence, they mimic and shadow their appearances. On the other end of the spectrum, technological lights resonate with the human eye, illuminating the spirits who are presently communicating with the living
Spectacle · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Categorization, perception, and language · Color perception and design
| Highly cited | No |
|---|