Color Scheme: An Irreverent History of Art and Pop Culture in Color Palettes

This book about color is split into three sections: “Art History,” “Contemporary Art,” and “Pop Culture.” The sections feature color palettes inspired by the likes of Audubon’s birds, David Hockney’s pools, and Prince’s concert outfits. Each offers a series of named color blocks and an annotated image to start. For example, the page on Prince’s concert outfits includes a color identified as “Purple Rain Tour, Joe Louis Arena, 1984.” These colors can be cross-referenced to the CMYK listing at the back of the book. Young spends a few pages on color strategy and real-world examples for the book’s palettes. Her easiest example to understand is the color palette of Le Creuset cookware; Young writes, “This color-centric strategy prevents the classic design of a well-known product from growing stale and outdated while keeping loyal customers engaged, ever tempted by the colorway that seems even newer, better, fresher, a touch more thrilling than the last.”