The Paint That's Illegal - OutdoorPainter

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– Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today –

There’s a paint, a “material,” that an artist patented, and no one else is allowed to use it.

Lead Image: Vantablack grown on aluminum foil. Photo by Surrey NanoSystems

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.)

Surrey NanoSystems created it, and Kapoor is the only person allowed to use it in art. He is reportedly of a litigious nature, too. The substance is “grown,” and forms vertical nanotubes, and it absorbs 99.965 percent of the light that hits it.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. 11

    Reply

  2. So what would happen if one painted their car this color? If it can be grown then it can be made. I got plenty of foil, and I will do it. How do we get started growing these nano-tubes? I don’t really care about their lame law

    Reply

  3. yea, same f*** those laws. lets make it.

    Reply

  4. Hell yeah at least I am glad I’m not the only one f- the law if they didn’t want these type of ideas then they shouldn’t have showed vantablack. My idea is to paint my car that color just do it won’t reflect light.

    Reply

  5. Hmm 🤔 i wonder since it doesn’t reflect light does it absorb radar guns 🤣 if so definitely need it on my XK-8 😂

    Reply

  6. If it is only allowed to be used by Kapour or however his name is spelled, isn’t that the same as a “Monopoly” which is also against the law?

    Reply

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