Black Oxide of Cobalt 

Editor: Here we see "Black Oxide of Cobalt," by J.D. Penberthy, with an intriguing label and what seems to be a color calibration chart. I am curious about the materials. What is your take? Curator: Well, for me, the real subject here is production. The bottle and chart highlight the industrial processes that make art possible. Where does the "art" begin: with the pigment, the packaging, or the application? Editor: So it is less about the artist and more about the means of making? Curator: Exactly. The focus shifts from the individual genius to the collaborative network of labor and resources that contribute to artistic creation. Think about the chemist who created this pigment. Editor: That is a completely different perspective. I learned something new. Curator: As did I. Considering art from the perspective of its production opens up a new set of questions.