The cultural study of water has shifted towards the colour blue, moving away from traditional green ecologies to focus on blue aquatic inquiries. This transformation raises questions about the implications of this shift and the emergence of the blue humanities within the environmental humanities. The article explores how the blue humanities address colonial inheritances and critique colonial desires, highlighting the historical significance of the colour blue in colonial contexts. By analysing the works of Dutch artist Pieter Paul Pothoven and Aotearoa New Zealand poet Selina Tusitala Marsh, the article demonstrates how blue analysis reveals the role of the colour in empire-building, environmental impact, and resistance against imperial power. It argues that the blue humanities disarticulate transoceanic colonial connections, offering new perspectives on the complexities of colonial legacies in aquatic environments.
Citation: Susanne Ferwerda; Blue Humanities and the Color of Colonialism. Environmental Humanities 1 March 2024; 16 (1): 1–18.