Alright, so today I got curious after seeing some noise online about this artist guy, Anish Kapoor, and some kind of super-black paint called Vantablack. The whole thing sounded kinda crazy, like somebody actually got exclusive rights to a color? What the hell?
First thing I did, obviously, was fire up my browser and started typing. Simple searches first: "Anish Kapoor Vantablack". Whoa, tons of hits. Seems like it’s not just a small spat but a full-blown art world brawl.
Okay, digging deeper now. I started clicking through articles. Found out Vantablack wasn't really paint paint, more like some crazy coating made by some tech company, Surrey NanoSystems, using carbon nanotubes. Looks like the darkest stuff ever made. Absorbs almost all light? Wild.
The Head-Scratching Exclusive Deal
Here’s where my jaw dropped. My browsing showed me that back in, what was it… 2016? Kapoor cut a deal with these tech folks. They gave him the exclusive rights to use Vantablack for art. That’s the part that blew my mind. Exclusive? For one artist? Could that even be possible?
Felt weird. Like, imagine someone owning the rights to the colour yellow? Sounds bonkers to me.
Stirring the Pot - Stuart Semple
Kept scrolling. This story wouldn’t be half as spicy without the other guy, Stuart Semple. Heard of him before? Seems he was absolutely fuming about this exclusive deal. Saw him quoted somewhere calling it "absurd and very sad."
And get this – dude didn't just complain online. Nah. He fought back. Started making his own super-bright paints and things like the "pinkest pink" and his own version of a really dark black called "Black 3.0".
Semple's Big Middle Finger
The best bit? How he released them. Read somewhere that anyone could buy his paints… except Anish Kapoor. You gotta tick a box saying "I am not Anish Kapoor, I am not associated with Anish Kapoor, etc." before you could even order! That felt like such a brilliant, public "screw you" move. Pure internet drama gold.
Wondered if Kapoor even tried. Poked around a bit more and yep, apparently he did manage to get hold of some of Semple’s pink stuff at some point? Caused another online meltdown. Messy.
What I Made of This Whole Mess
So, after clicking and reading for probably way too long, here’s the rough takeaway stuck in my head:
- Some tech company makes the blackest black ever.
- They let one famous artist be the only one who can use it artistically.
- Loads of other artists (led by Semple) thought that was total, gatekeeping bullshit.
- So they basically started a paint war, making crazy colours anyone else could buy, just to rub Kapoor’s nose in it.
Honestly, the whole thing feels tangled up. On one side, you got corporations holding the strings on this fancy tech paint. On the other, you got artists fighting over who gets to play with the darkest crayon. Feels kinda elitist versus rebellious to me. Doesn't sit right, one guy monopolizing an artistic material like that. Art ain't meant to be that exclusive, is it?
The main thing I walked away with? It’s more than just paint. It’s about control, access, and who gets to say what art is allowed to be. Kinda ugly, kinda fascinating. Mostly just makes me shake my head and mutter, "This art world is bonkers sometimes."
