An inspiring podcast on everything you need to know about color!
Stay tuned for our next podcast with Mexican designer Fernando Laposse live November 26!
The Color of Music with Julia Hamilton
Synesthesia has been a much discussed topic among color professionals and finally I got the chance to interview Julia Hamilton, an artist who uses her condition for her daily creativity. As Julia listens to music, she draws inspiration from the lyrics and sounds for the colors for her paintings. Julia not only sees colors when she listens to music, she also sees colors in letters and numbers. During this episode we will in depth discuss her experiences as a synesthete. Forget all logic you learned in color psychology and science, this is a very different episode on color!
Julia Hamilton enjoys creating intricate line drawings, mixed media paintings, and physical digital installations in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. She has loved creating art since childhood. After graduating from high school, Hamilton attended University of Cincinnati, majoring in Fine Art. She soon became disillusioned with art school, switching to Information Technology (IT). She graduated with a bachelor degree in Computer Science and has enjoyed a lengthy, successful career working in IT, all the while keeping her artwork as her true passion and stabilizing foundation. In 2017, Hamilton was able to make art her full-time profession, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She continues to work in IT but only part-time, allowing her to make her art practice her primary focus. In 2019, Hamilton received her Master of Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art & Design. During her graduate studies, she learned how to make physical digital installation pieces using new technology.
Currently, Hamilton continues making mixed paintings physical digital installations. She continues taking inspiration from her synesthesia and science. In 2020, she began working on a body of pandemic-themed work, which explores the ways our lives have changed in recent months.
Multisensory Perceptions with Carmel Levitan
As first scientist on the podcast, Carmel invites the audience to look beyond color and design and broaden our perceptions as she explains how color connects to other senses such as taste and smell. Carmel will reveal why humans are so keen in connecting multiple senses and what the future is for multisensory experiences. She will talk in detail about her research in the field of cognitive sciences and how our food experiences in particular are influenced by many different aspects. Which colors indicate which of the five tastes? What is synesthesia and how many different types of this neurological condition exist? This episode brings color to a whole other level.
Carmel Levitan is a Professor of Cognitive Science at Occidental College, in Los Angeles, California. Carmel received her PhD in Bioengineering from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, and was a postdoctoral researcher in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. Carmel’s main area of research expertise is multi sensory perception, focusing on how the senses interact and how factors such as culture, emotions, and expectations mediate associations within and across the senses. Carmel welcomes the opportunity to connect with scientists and artists across the world.
“Excellent series about color. It’s a complex topic and Judith approaches it from a variety of angles with her guests. Always entertaining and insightful. I look forward to listening to each episode and learning something new about color and the visionaries in the color world.”
— Review Apple Podcast