Manmade materials meet nature with spectacular results in the Tannic Acid series by the Eindhoven based Studio Steven Banken.

The series is inspired the concept of a rusty nail surrounding by blue stains on oak. Oak contains high amounts of tannic acid, which turns blue when exposed to steel. Steel likewise turns blue as a result of a chemical reaction between red iron oxide and tannic acid. While normally considered an undesirable effect, this series showcases the beauty of this reaction, revealing the similarity in colour of two very different materials after a natural chemical reaction.

To accelerate and highlight the process, the elements that cause this blue coloured chemical reaction are applied in liquid form on the other material.