Colour, Space, and Form

My main research project currently is a monograph developing a comprehensive account of colour perception, integrating philosophical theory with vision science.

Colour perception is often treated as autonomous and homogenous. Autonomous, in that colour perceptions are explained independently of object perceptions. Homogenous, in that colours appear in the same fundamental ways in all perceptions, regardless of the type of object one perceives.

Imagine perceiving an opaque green material surface under yellowish illumination, or a transparent yellow liquid enveloping a diode emitting bright green light. Autonomy implies that such colour perceptions are explained independently of the objects to which these colours appear to belong. Homogeneity implies that the perceived colours of the surface and transparency, for example, appear in the same fundamental ways, regardless of appearing as features of very different kinds of object.

The book develops an alternative view, which treats colour perception as heteronomous and heterogenous. Heteronomous, in that colour perception and object perception are explanatorily interdependent. Heterogenous, in that colours appear in different ways, depending on the kind of object to which they appear to belong.

This account builds on the Gestalt psychology of David Katz, who described different modes of colour appearance for perceived surfaces, illuminants, illuminations, transparencies, and more. Theorising these modes requires understanding the intricate ways colour perception interacts with the perception of space and objectual structure, thus connecting colour, space, and form.

The book develops these connections by applying methods and findings from phenomenology, metaphysics, theories of representation, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, psychophysics, physics, and ecology. The account provides systematic new foundations for philosophical and scientific work on colour perception.