Anish Kapoor banned from using colour-changing paint in ongoing rights war (2024)

FAQs

Anish Kapoor banned from using colour-changing paint in ongoing rights war? ›

The artists have been at war ever since Kapoor received exclusive rights to the revolutionary Vantablack

Black 3.0 is a black acrylic paint that absorbs between 98 and 99% of visible light; everyone can buy it, except Anish Kapoor. Black acrylic paint is super black thanks to Stuart Semple and Black 3.0. You apply it with the basic tools that we know: brush or paintbrush, spray or roller.

The most direct and biting reaction to Kapoor's monopoly on Vantablack, however, was Stuart Semple's. As another British artist, Semple found himself likewise allured by the abyssal color. Following his discovery of Kapoor's artistic monopoly on the material, Semple hatched a plan.

British sculptor Anish Kapoor made history when he bought exclusive rights to the Vantablack pigment, aka the world's “blackest black.”

Because Vantablack is not produced as paint or pigment in the traditional sense, NanoSystems says it is “generally not suitable for use in art due to the way in which it's made.” A form of the substance that can be sprayed onto surfaces, called Vantablack S-VIS, requires “specialist application,” the company says.

Black 4.0 - 99.95%. So in other words, Black 4.0 'just a paint' is imperceptible from Vantablack using human vision, and the Anish Kapoor thing was just a publicity stunt? Looking at it the other way, Black 4.0 reflects 0.05% of the light, and Vantablack 0.035%. So Black 4.0 reflects about 40% more light.

Anish Kapoor is the other major artist on the list. He's at spot number 876, with his £135 million ($175.39 million) fortune unchanged in the last year. His holdings include his own artwork as well as extensive property, the Times reported.

Vantablack S-VIS and S-IR coatings are not supplied to private individuals. Many Vantablack S-VIS / S-IR applications do not require an export license. Vantablack VBx2. 3 does not require an export licence, but it is not sold to the general public as it requires professional spray systems and training to apply.

As a light-absorbing chemical, the name "VANTABLACK" is trademarked by Surrey NanoSystems Limited, and is referenced in three patents registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

There's a paint, a “material,” that an artist patented, and no one else is allowed to use it. Anish Kapoor bought the exclusive rights to Vantablack, the blackest black available to artists. (Feel free to insert a “Spinal Tap” joke here, if you are of a certain age.)

What is the new color of black? ›

In 2019 MIT engineers reported the creation of a new color ten times blacker than any other shade produced before including Vantablack. The creators claim this shade absorbs 99.995 percent of light and, perhaps more importantly, the color is much stronger than any other nanotube-based shade of black.

Since no light can escape it, the material becomes essentially invisible to the human eye, causing three-dimensional objects to appear two-dimensional. Vantablack seems like an incredible resource for military applications, such as enhancing stealth aircraft or camouflaging soldiers.

To the best of your knowledge, information and belief this paint will not make it's way into that hands of Anish Kapoor. Of course, Semple isn't cruel enough to ban Kapoor from using this color for life—only until Kapoor agrees to give up his exclusive rights to Vantablack, Power reports.

There's a paint, a “material,” that an artist patented, and no one else is allowed to use it. Anish Kapoor bought the exclusive rights to Vantablack, the blackest black available to artists.

Disadvantages: because acrylic paints dry quickly they cannot be easily blended to create the 'wet in wet' technique that is popular with oil paints. For this reason, a finished acrylic painting can look harsh compared to a finished oil painting.