Zinc White (White Seal) ZInc Oxide 1942

Curator: The jar of pigment next to the painted card reveals art's reliance on industrial production. The label itself becomes a signifier of value. How does this focus on a manufactured material challenge traditional notions of artistic skill? Editor: That's a great question. This work, "Zinc White (White Seal) Zinc Oxide," presents a commercial product made by New Jersey Zinc Co. I see not just an artwork, but also a study of materiality. What does this juxtaposition suggest to you about the nature of art and labor? Curator: It directs our attention to the factory, the miner, the chemist – the often invisible hands behind the art object. We must ask, who truly is the artist here? The corporation? The worker? This object invites us to reconsider the traditional hierarchy of art. Editor: That's really insightful. I never considered it that way.