01
surfaces
Patina is not one colour
Why green, brown and black surfaces require material context rather than romantic shorthand.
Read articleTool / skin / light
The surface is not an afterthought
Tool marks, polishing, coatings and corrosion layers determine how cast form meets light—and how cautiously it should be interpreted.
Distinguish finish from age
Darkness, green colour and shine can be natural, applied, restored or newly altered. A responsible caption does not collapse these different histories into the single word patina.
Follow raking light
Low-angle light can reveal chased lines, abrasion, pitting and repaired joins. It is an analytical tool, but photographs remain shaped by exposure and colour balance.
Name interventions
Cleaning, polishing, waxing and coating can change both appearance and evidence. Conservation records matter more than aesthetic assumptions.
Related long reads
02
surfaces
Raking light and the ethics of relief
How directional light clarifies tool marks while also staging a persuasive—and partial—view.
Read article