Entering the mind of Julio Torres is like peeling back layers and discovering a world living just beneath the surface of the reality we find ourselves existing in.
As the film begins and as we enter the stage, the universe of Torres begins to assemble itself. This universe is called Color Theories. The newest project from Torres lifts up a mirror to the societal norms. He takes these norms and reduces them to their most elemental form of colors.
As the audience filled the theater at the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle, the experience had already begun before the film even started. All around was a sea of free expression. People dressed not just for an outing, but for an occasion. Beautiful patterns, colors speaking loudly, and fashion true, intentional fashion became part of the pre-show spectacle. It felt as though everyone in the room had subconsciously agreed to meet Torres on his level of creativity.
Torres opens on the stage of a familiar Brooklyn performance space. He enters and begins speaking directly to the audience, establishing an intimacy. What makes the work of Torres so compelling is his ability to use whimsy not as an escape, but as a lens. He guides us through color as though it were a language we’ve always known but never consciously spoken. Each hue becomes a symbol, sometimes representing something as vast and intangible as a feeling, other times something as specific as the essence of a stranger you might pass on a New York street. In the hands of Torres, color becomes a tool of translation, turning abstract human experiences into something immediate and visible.
There’s a quiet brilliance in how Torres balances humor with introspection. The laughter he provokes is not just reactive; it’s reflective. By the time the project reaches its conclusion, you feel dramatically transformed. As Wicked so famously puts it, you are “changed for good.” Torres doesn’t demand that you see the world differently; he simply offers you the tools to do so, should you choose. When you step back out into the city; its noise, its chaos, its endless stream of color. You begin to notice things you might have otherwise overlooked. A shade feels more intentional. A moment feels more defined. A stranger seems to carry a story you can almost see.
Torres leaves you with a fresh set of eyes and a renewed curiosity about the systems we live within. Color Theories is currently streaming on HBO, and it’s well worth your time. Don’t miss the chance to experience an artist who doesn’t just tell stories, but reshapes the way we perceive them, delivering meaning not in spite of creativity, but through an explosive, unforgettable spectrum of it.