Did you know that blue was once more expensive than gold? It's surprisingly true! To create blue in the real world required a lot of sweat, risk, and travel. We'll be exploring that history today.

This episode was created and produced by Janine, a member of the IKB token collective, a decentralized community created in mid-2024, federated by a blockchain token.

📚 References & Further Reading

National Gallery (London), “Ultramarine” — history, making, and use
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/meaning-of-colours-in-western-art/ultramarine

Victoria & Albert Museum, “Blue: Ultramarine” — materials and trade
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/blue-ultramarine

The Met Museum Timeline of Art History, “Lapis Lazuli”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lapi/hd_lapi.htm

Cennino Cennini, Il Libro dell’Arte (The Craftsman’s Handbook) — classic recipes for ultramarine (English trans. excerpts)
https://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Cennini/

Britannica, “Prussian blue” — discovery and properties
https://www.britannica.com/science/Prussian-blue

Musée des Arts et Métiers / CNAM, “Ultramarine, a synthetic pigment” (history of Guimet ultramarine)
https://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee/bleu-outremer-un-pigment-synthetique

Centre Pompidou, “The untold story of the International Klein Blue (IKB) of Yves Klein”
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-plus/magazine/article/the-untold-story-of-the-international-klein-blue-ikb-of-yves-klein

“Pigments through the Ages” (web archive of pigment histories)
http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/ultramarine.html

Getty Conservation Institute, “The Color of the Sky: Ultramarine” (materials & conservation)
https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/15_3/ultramarine.html

In this episode we're asking the question: Can you own a color? We’ll sort myth from law, discussing American luxury brand Tiffany, French artist Yves Klein, and the International Klein Blue token — a community-made blockchain token on the Solana chain — all real-world examples that, spoiler alert, do not imply actually owning blue.

📚 References & Further Reading

Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., 514 U.S. 159 (1995) — when a color can act as a trademark
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/93-1577.ZO.html

Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent America Inc. (2d Cir. 2012) — red sole protectable only in contrast
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/11-3303/11-3303-2012-09-05.html

Tiffany Blue — brand statementsTiffany & Co. Press page on Tiffany Blue (trademark and Pantone “1837 Blue”):
https://press.tiffany.com/our-story/tiffany-blue/

Yves Klein & IKB — myth-busting the “patented color”Centre Pompidou, “The untold story of the International Klein Blue (IKB) of Yves Klein”:
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-plus/magazine/article/the-untold-story-of-the-international-klein-blue-ikb-of-yves-klein

Material note (binder/pigment example)MoMA object text for Blue Monochrome (1961):
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80103

In this episode, produced by IKB token collective member Maryann, we're exploring common beliefs about colors, such as yellow is "happy" and blue is "sad".  Where does this come from and is it even true? You'll discover that it has some significance for International Klein Blue.

📚 References & Further Reading

Schloss, Karen & Witzel, Christoph & Lai, Leslie. (2020). Blue hues don't bring the blues: questioning conventional notions of color–emotion associations. Journal of the Optical Society of America A. 37. 813-824. 10.1364/JOSAA.383588.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339965016_Blue_hues_don't_bring_the_blues_questioning_conventional_notions_of_color-emotion_associations