Pumice 

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the subtle tonal shifts and the layering of the pumice, especially where it meets the linseed oil. Editor: This is "Pumice," a manufactured object by S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Co. What draws me in is the commodification of a natural resource for industrial application. How is pumice mined and processed for teeth cleaning? Curator: The way the pumice interacts with the linseed oil creates a visual texture that is quite compelling. Semiotically, the layering signifies preparation. Editor: And that interaction changes the pumice's essential qualities, transforming it from raw material into consumer product. Whose labor extracts the raw material, and whose hands prepare these samples? Curator: I’m seeing a study in contrasts: the rough and the smooth, the opaque and the translucent. Editor: For me, it's the story of industrial production and its impact on our bodies. These objects are not merely aesthetic—they are part of a broader system of production and consumption.