[ EN ] A rusty nail surrounded by blue stains in oak forms the basis of this research. Oak contains high concentrations of tannic acid, which turns into dark blue when it’s exposed to steel. The same happens with steel, as a result of a chemical reaction between red iron oxide and tannic acid. To accelerate this normally undesirable process the elements that cause this chemical reaction are applied in liquid form on the other material.

Tannic Acid series of Steven Banken reveals the exceptional similarity in color of two radically different materials after the natural transition.