Stephen Wozniak
White Columns
2022
MDF, acrylic paint on Baker-Miller pink acrylic wall paint
11 1/2″ H x 9 1/2″ W x 1 1/2″ D

Also known by the name of the biological and behavioral researcher who developed it, Alexander Schauss, Baker-Miller Pink paint was created to reduce violent or aggressive behavior in Naval prisoners during the 1970s and later adopted for interiors by leading detention institutions across America. While Schauss’ work was based on additional extensive color theory and research of psychiatrist Max Luscher, results of a controlled study by James E. Gilliam and David Unruh conflicted with Baker-Miller Pink’s purported effect of lowering viewer heart rate and strength when Santa Clara County California jail inmates grew more violent in the color’s presence, showing a cultural bias against femininity represented by the color.