Burnt Sienna 

Curator: Here we see a vial of "Burnt Sienna," a pigment manufactured by Madderton, displayed alongside a color chart. It immediately strikes me as a study in standardization. Editor: My first thought goes to the global extraction of raw materials and the commodification of the earth to make this color. The history of color is tied to colonialism. Curator: Indeed, and here the materials and labor have been refined and packaged for easy consumption by artists. The vial itself is part of the industrial process. Editor: It's a history of artistic labor but also a history of exploitation. Who had access to this color? What did it mean for marginalized artists? Curator: It also raises questions about authorship; is Madderton the artist here? They've certainly shaped the tools available to create art. Editor: Absolutely. Reflecting on the politics embedded in something as seemingly simple as a color makes you question the narratives we tell about art history. Curator: Precisely. It is a reminder that even the most basic artistic tools have a rich, complex backstory. Editor: Exactly, and considering that back story helps us understand the artwork that was later created with this pigment.