Cadmium-Barium Red, Deep Maroon 

Editor: So, this is "Cadmium-Barium Red, Deep Maroon," made by the Harshaw Chemical Company. It's just pigment, but I find it really striking. What sort of cultural weight does a color sample like this carry? Curator: Red often evokes strong emotions—passion, anger, even sacrifice. Cadmium-Barium Red, specifically, with its deep maroon shade, might suggest something more somber, like dried blood or old velvet. The chemical company's label hints at a transition, from the natural to the industrial. Editor: So, is it a symbol of industrialization's impact on art? Curator: Precisely! The pigment, once derived from the earth, is now synthesized, mass-produced. This shift impacts how artists access and use color, changing their visual language. Editor: That's a powerful observation. I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Consider what is gained and lost when the earth yields to the laboratory.