Zinc White 

Curator: We're looking at "Zinc White," manufactured by Le Franc and housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's rather still, isn't it? A silent testament. Editor: Yes, it’s surprisingly affecting. The juxtaposition of the sterile color chart with the handmade label on the bottle evokes a sense of art-making, but also, of industry, of labor. Curator: I am drawn to the perfect grid of colors, and the bottle. The glass is so plain and unadorned, save for the label, which gives it a quiet dignity. Editor: This small bottle speaks volumes about the commodification of artistic materials. Who had access to these tools, and what narratives were they empowered to create? It's a history of privilege and exclusion. Curator: Perhaps, but it also speaks to the elegance of pure pigment. The possibilities inherent in the material itself. Editor: Absolutely, but we cannot look past the economic and social structures that determine who gets to explore those possibilities. Curator: I suppose you're right. Editor: Always!