PRI
event recordings
for members
At PRI we record almost all of our events to make them available for our members. With more than 50 videos ranging from how-to's to foraging practices, field trips, the history of pigments, conservation, paint-making and so much more, there's something for everyone.
We will keep adding content as future events occur, so check back frequently.
Ultramarine Blue: myth and matter with Evie Hatch
Of all the pigments employed in European painting, Ultramarine Blue occupies a uniquely prominent position in our imagination. Extracted from the precious stone lapis lazuli, its associations with the Virgin Mary’s robes and its reputation as being the most precious pigment on artists' palettes have made it the subject of enduring fascination. In this talk, Evie Hatch argues that these familiar narratives, while compelling, demand closer scrutiny. Was the pigment really more expensive than gold? To what extent did it shape Marian iconography? And how does the story of Ultramarine Blue illuminate broader questions about the relationship between material value and artistic practice in late medieval and early modern Europe?
Botswana Colors with Ann Mary Gollifer
Ann says, “I have been working with the earth-colours of Botswana since 2020. This practice has brought me into close contact with a rural traditional healer and mural painter and urban Letsoku (earth cosmetic powders) traders. My talk includes an introduction to these women. It will cover the visiting of collection sites within rural
landscapes, and trading posts in town. I will talk about traditional processing of the earth into paint for house-wall application, cosmetic face-powders, and healing. I will also
include a description of my studio practice that covers the processing of earths into paint by grinding, sieving, levigation and mulling. This talk will illustrate my personal,
intuitive research on the ground in Botswana.
Pigment Stories from Jackson's Art
Every colour has a story. Follow Lamp Black’s progression from the soot of ancient oil lamps to the European printing press, trace Ultramarine Blue’s origins as a precious stone and its groundbreaking synthetic reinvention, and discover Dragon’s Blood, a pigment once believed to be drawn from mythic battles between dragons and elephants. Find out why Carmine connects Old Master paintings with confectionery, how the car industry has driven colour innovation, and which pigment you may have used to brush your teeth.
Pigment Stories Book by Jackson’s Art is illuminated with photography by the Jackson’s Team, as well as artworks spanning from ancient to modern times, generously provided by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Art, Wellcome Collection and The Walters Art Museum.
A book for artists and anyone curious about the intersection of art, history, and human creativity, this captivating collection reveals the hidden stories behind artists’ pigments, uncovering tales of discovery, innovation, and transformation.
Organized Chaos in Colours with Laurens de Blocq of Dirty Blue
.Every colour tells a story and every story begins with a question Dirty Blue just couldn’t let go of.
In this demonstration for Pigments Revealed International, Dirty Blue invites you on a vivid journey into the world of handcrafted watercolours, where tradition meets innovation, and colour is both a science and a personal obsession. All from a home studio run by a single pigment enthusiast
with a deep love for both the old and the new.
Inside this organised chaos, days are spent hand-mulling paint by glass muller, and nights spiral into rabbit holes of pigment chemistry, spectral curves, and mineral transformations.
This talk is for anyone who’s ever wondered why a colour behaves the way it does or who simply can’t
stop thinking about pigment at 3am.
Sustainability Round-Table with Dorieke Schreurs, Jane Marsching and Jonah Hoffman. This discussion opens a series of round-tables featuring leading researchers in the field of pigment sustainability.