Red Slate Flour (Native Slate) 

Editor: Here we see "Red Slate Flour (Native Slate)" by C.K. Williams & Co. It shows a jar of pigment alongside a color swatch. It feels very utilitarian, almost like a product demonstration. What do you see in this object? Curator: It makes me consider the commodification of art materials. How does the branding and marketing of something like pigment, a raw material, shape the art that is created with it, and its subsequent reception? Editor: That's a compelling point. It's easy to forget that even the most natural materials are shaped by market forces. I wonder how the perception of "native" resources influenced its value? Curator: Exactly! It begs the question of accessibility and ownership, doesn’t it? These are crucial questions to explore. Editor: Absolutely, thinking about art materials in this way gives me a fresh perspective.