NATURAL PIGMENTS IN THE MODERN WORLD
With the modern day popularity of store-bought mediums such as oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolors and much more, we often don’t take into consideration the processes it takes to produce the abundant art materials in the market. The machines of mass production make it easily forgettable that we, humans, are capable of doing what they are doing. Before the invention of the everyday paint tube in the mid-19th century, artists made or bought hand ground pigments from natural materials that were processed to become a paint, a stick, a wash, etc. to suit the artist’s needs.
We will explore natural pigments in our world by examining varied historical processes of creating art materials, drawing on Berkeley’s own palette of natural pigments and contrasting the industrial, mechanized processes with our own handmade, human methods. We will begin with the analysis of the natural environment and how we gather pigments from it, as well as our inability to find the perfect pigments—leading up to the creation of synthetic pigments and their impact on the environment and artists.
We will then go closer to home by discussing California’s array of colors in nature and the opportunities it offers for the creation of mineral pigments and dyes. The unique landscape of California presents a rich history of indigenous uses . However, the politics of pigments are global, with pollutant pigments, industrial runoff, and capitalistic ventures creating many issues that endanger the environment, people, and the sustained existence of some pigments. We will look closely at a range of pigments in their social, cultural, and environmental contexts to examine how the artist’s resources illuminate connection between nature, humans, and aesthetics
We will explore natural pigments in our world by examining varied historical processes of creating art materials, drawing on Berkeley’s own palette of natural pigments and contrasting the industrial, mechanized processes with our own handmade, human methods. We will begin with the analysis of the natural environment and how we gather pigments from it, as well as our inability to find the perfect pigments—leading up to the creation of synthetic pigments and their impact on the environment and artists.
We will then go closer to home by discussing California’s array of colors in nature and the opportunities it offers for the creation of mineral pigments and dyes. The unique landscape of California presents a rich history of indigenous uses . However, the politics of pigments are global, with pollutant pigments, industrial runoff, and capitalistic ventures creating many issues that endanger the environment, people, and the sustained existence of some pigments. We will look closely at a range of pigments in their social, cultural, and environmental contexts to examine how the artist’s resources illuminate connection between nature, humans, and aesthetics
This DeCal has been made possible through contributions and working with our sponsor, the Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC) and their Greener DeCal Fellowship.
SERC at UC Berkeley strives to sponsor a network of well-designed and skillfully-facilitated DeCals focused on sustainability and the environment. The SERC DeCal Fellowship supports students achieving SERC’s vision of “Sustainability education for every UC Berkeley student.” |
GOALS FOR THE CLASS
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
It’s important to be aware of the materials you use and the kinds of processes it takes to develop them through industrial machinery and labor. Taking into consideration the history behind art pigments, you can start to register the larger impact of the mass-production of art commodities and the waste and hazards associated with them on the environment.
The industrial production of synthetic and natural pigment-based paints on a massive scale can lead to air pollution because of powered machines; however, it does not stop there. There are many pollutants associated with synthetic paint processing and disposal. Along with direct impact, the waste of materials due to their mass-production and ease-of-availability often leads to wasted product that is unused.
We hope to open your eyes to a range of natural pigment sources as a way to lessen your impact on the environment (and yourself) as an artist in a mass-produced ready-to-use art supply market. We are also here to open your thoughts to current situations regarding the price put on pigments and how that affects the market and its consumers—ultimately affecting the environment during extractions and productions.
- Understand the environmental and political impact of natural and synthetic pigments
- Get a grasp of the long history of pigments since the dawn of mankind
- Learn about the desirability and costs of natural pigments
- Learn how to use natural and synthetic pigments while understanding their impact
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
It’s important to be aware of the materials you use and the kinds of processes it takes to develop them through industrial machinery and labor. Taking into consideration the history behind art pigments, you can start to register the larger impact of the mass-production of art commodities and the waste and hazards associated with them on the environment.
The industrial production of synthetic and natural pigment-based paints on a massive scale can lead to air pollution because of powered machines; however, it does not stop there. There are many pollutants associated with synthetic paint processing and disposal. Along with direct impact, the waste of materials due to their mass-production and ease-of-availability often leads to wasted product that is unused.
We hope to open your eyes to a range of natural pigment sources as a way to lessen your impact on the environment (and yourself) as an artist in a mass-produced ready-to-use art supply market. We are also here to open your thoughts to current situations regarding the price put on pigments and how that affects the market and its consumers—ultimately affecting the environment during extractions and productions.