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The Amusing Beef That Inspired "The Pinkest Pink"

"We all remember kids at school who wouldn't share their coloring pencils..."

By Jennifer ChildersPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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This article is about colors. Not just any colors, but the colors of Vantablack (aka the "blackest black") and why The Pinkest Pink was created to spite it.

Confused? Let me explain.

Vantablack is the brand name for a "superblack" pigment first developed by Ben Jensen at National Physical Laboratory in the UK. There's a lot of chemical makeup that goes into Vantablack. But in layman's terms: Regular shades of black reflect lights. Vantablack absorbs light--making it truly the blackest black in existence.

There are many practical uses for such a color, particularly in the field of science. Because it reduces stray light reflections and glare, it can be used for crafting telescopes and microscopes, for example. But can also be useful for Earth Space cameras and infrared lenses--all helpful to research.

A side by side of two statue heads: One left untouched and the other painted over with Vantablack. Notice how the features of the one coated in Vantablack are completely indistinguishable, and look almost like a black hole has been ripped in the fabric of space?

Of course, artists were thrilled with the unveiling of a new shade of black. Not only was it a new shade of a color...but it looks cool! The way it absorbs instead of reflecting light can definitely create some ultra cool, modern art with extra depth and an illusory sense hollowness.

But before artists everywhere could get their hands on Vantablack, a man named Anish Kapoor swooped in and legally licensed it exclusively for himself for artistic use. Meaning that he, and only he, is allowed to use it for art.

If the name Anish Kapoor sounds familiar, he is the designer of Cloud Gate...colloquially referred to as "The Bean" in Chicago's Millenium Park. Of course, Kapoor hates that people refer to Cloud Gate as "The Bean", but because he stole an entire color for himself, I think everyone should continue calling it The Bean for spite.

Come on, Anish, this is a bean and you know it.

Do you know who else was annoyed enough at Kapoor legally hoarding Vantablack to himself, that they enacted an act of spite? Stuart Semple, a UK based artist. So annoyed that, in protest, he created PINK--the Pinkest Pink. Like Vantablack, PINK uses fluorescent shades of pink that saturate the color to such high degrees that the true pink-ness of the pigment cannot be captured on camera or lenses. It has to be seen to be believed.

Semple stated: "We all remember kids at school wouldn't share their colouring pencils, but then they ended up on their own with no friends. It's cool, Anish can have his black. But the rest of us will be playing with the rainbow!"

PINK is available to everyone...as long as you are not Anish Kapoor. Semple has legally banned him from using it. In fact, people purchasing the color must make a legal declaration that they "are not Anish Kapoor, you are in no way affiliated with 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."

Semple also created a pigment called Better Black as a knockoff use of Vantablack. While the shade is not exactly as deep as Vantablack, Semple stated it is better simply because it is affordable and can be used by everyone. He also released Diamond Dust or "the glitteriest glitter"--also legally forbidden if you are Anish Kapoor.

Careful though, if you do use this: Semple states it is made of fine shards of glass!

Though despite Semple's legal forbidding of Kapoor from using PINK, Kapoor still somehow managed to get his hands on the pigment. (The legal declaration is based mostly on the honor system, after all.) In an act of pettiness, he posted a photo to Instagram with his middle finger dipped in the pigment, with the simple caption "Up yours."

Though Kapoor is still technically forbidden from using the colors, as are anyone else from using Vantablack, this beef between the two artists has been pretty dormant since 2017. Though the hilarious pettiness of the two artists, which feels straight out of a Monty Python sketch, still continues to make people chuckle. Which is why I am telling you about it now.

Unfortunately, you cannot use Vantablack, as Kapoor still has license over it. But you can always try the pinkest pink or the glitteriest glitter.*

*as long as you are not Anish Kapoor, are not purchasing on behalf of Anish Kapoor, and it will not--to the best of your knowledge--fall into the hands of Anish Kapoor.

Pop Culture
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About the Creator

Jennifer Childers

I just write thoughts on anime, games, music, movies, or other things that are on my mind. Occasionally a poem or short story might come up.

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