The ‘Language of Colour’ neon works are based on colour’s power in conveying ideas and information, references, idioms and expressions relating to colour — words that are peculiar to themselves grammatically but whose relation to colour gives them specific meaning.

purple man

a fictional character: a super villain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

purple heart

a US military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after April 5, 1917, with the US military

purple mountain

or Zijin Shan is a mountain located on the eastern side of Nanjing in Jiangsu province, China. Its peaks are often found enveloped in mysterious purple and golden clouds at dawn and dusk, hence its name

purple frog

the only surviving member of a group of amphibians which evolved 130 million years ago; it can be found in the Western Ghats in India

purple rain

a song by Prince and The Revolution from the 1984 album of the same name. Prince explained the meaning of ‘Purple Rain’ as ‘When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue = purple ... purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/God guide you through the purple rain’

purple emperor

a large brown butterfly, Apatura iris, with iridescent wings that shine blue or purple in the light

purple haze

1. 1970 song by Jimi Hendrix. Many interpret the lyrics as referring to a psychedelic experience

2. purple cannabis

purple prose

an elaborately written poem or paragraph in literature/ prose text that is so elaborate, ornate or flowery as to break the flow and draw excessive attention to itself

purple patch

a run of success or good luck