Episode 34: In Your Face Deion Sanders

Prompts: Face, Bull, Sepia

In this art-and-cinema-packed episode of Curated by Chance, Lauren and Neal tackle two iconic mediums of visual storytelling: Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece and the century-long evolution of sepia in film.

Lauren kicks things off with Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, diving deep into the tragic bombing that inspired it, the painting’s powerful symbolism, and the key role of Dora Maar—Picasso’s partner, muse, and fellow artist. She explores the visual chaos, hidden skulls, dismembered limbs, and why the painting is considered one of the most haunting and effective anti-war artworks in history. But can we celebrate Guernica without celebrating the man behind it? That’s where it gets complicated.

Then Neal unpacks sepia—from its origins as a cuttlefish-derived archival tool to its place in cinematic magic. He explores how The Wizard of Oz pulled off its iconic sepia-to-Technicolor transition, how filmmakers like the Coen Brothers embraced sepia in emotional storytelling, and how color grading today still carries cultural weight, for better or worse (we’re looking at you, “Mexico Filter”).

Lauren’s Topic:

Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1937)

Neal’s Topic:

Sepia in film

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