Anish Kapoor — last seen in these parts when he apparently insisted that it was illegal for people in Chicago to take pictures in their public park if they captured a sculpture that had been donated to the city — got a nanotech company called Nanosystems to promise him the exclusive right to paint with their Vantablack pigment, which uses carbon nanotubes to absorb 99.96% of visible light.
In retaliation, UK artist Stuart Semple has released the world's most vivid pink, which he developed over a decade's work with global paint labs. The paint is available from one supplier, Culture Hustle, and in order to buy it, you must promise that "You are not Anish Kapoor, you are in no way affiliated to Anish Kapoor, you are not purchasing this item on behalf of Anish Kapoor or an associate of Anish Kapoor. To the best of your knowledge, information and belief this paint will not make its way into the hands of Anish Kapoor."
The more a paint reflects light the more fluorescent it becomes, and Semple's PINK is very reflective, meaning it gives off a very powerful fluorescence. "The pink already chucks out bucket loads of light but then we made it water soluble so it can be used as a paint and that took it up a notch." explains the artist. "Basically, now it pretty much glows. Whilst Anish's absorbs nearly all light, mine reflects it, kind of the antithesis of what his is doing."
So what does Anish Kapoor think of all this? Has Semple told him? Will there be some kind of paint-off between the two colors? "One of my friends is good friends with a friend of Anish's and apparently he's desperate to get his hands on some PINK, " notes Semple. "But I'm not budging till he shares the black. He started it!"
Anish Kapoor is Banned From Buying the World's Pinkest Paint [Kevin Holmes/The Creators Project]
