Seven years ago, Professor Mas Subramanian of Oregon State University, along with his team, accidently discovered a new pigment of blue. YInMn Blue was discovered by Andrew E. Smith, one of the graduate students on the team, while he was researching the electrical properties of manganese oxides that were mixed with other precursors and heated to 1,093 °C (1,967 °F). The name “YInMn” comes from the elements that make up the pigment: Yttrium, Indium and Manganese.
One of the most interesting properties of the pigment is that it doesn’t fade even when exposed to oil and water.
Now, according to an article on artnet.com, the pigment is ready to be marketed and the first company to sell it is the Shepherd Color Company.
In our mission as an organization to “foster craft” this is something that would influence the creation of our cultural artifacts. It’s not every day you create/discover a new “blue.”
How do you see this fitting into your creative endeavors?
