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As an "Eff-You" to Anish Kapoor, Artist Stuart Semple Makes Super-Black Paint Available to All

Black 2.0 is democratizing darkness

By Rain Noe - April 19, 2017

in Product Design | Materials | News

Should any artist possess the exclusive rights to a color? As you may remember, last year Anish Kapoor announced he had done just that with Vantablack, the blackest substance known to man.

After Kapoor acquired those rights, however, Vantablack developer Surrey Nanosystems developed an even darker version. Architecture firms and deep-pocketed luxury watch manufacturers were reportedly interested in using the color.

For the rest of us on ordinary budgets, British artist Stuart Semple collaborated "with thousands of artists from all over the world" to create Black 2.0, a super-black paint with similar properties to Vantablack. Semple has been manufacturing it and making it available for £11.99 (USD $15) for a 150mL bottle.

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What's amusing is that he's clearly done this as an eff-you to Kapoor. Here are some of the paint's listed properties:

* Unique acrylic co-polymer binder enables more pigment load than any other acrylic paint
* Developed for artists by artists
* Non Toxic
* Priced at what it costs to make
* Shippable worldwide
* Not available to Anish Kapoor

And some of the descriptive copy:

[Black 2.0] has been developed in close collaboration with thousands of artists from all over the world. Their amazing insight, support and inspiration has formed this unique super-black paint for the benefit of all artists*

*Except Anish Kapoor

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IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: this is not the blackest black in the world. It is however a better black than the blackest black in the world as it is actually usable by artists.

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*Note: By adding this product to your cart you confirm 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 material will not make its way into the hands of Anish Kapoor.

Black 2.0 has proven so popular that Semple's last batch sold out. He's been producing more and expects to have the next batch ready for sale by today, April 19th.

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George Mokray

7 years ago

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Anybody applying these new blacker than black blacks to solar heating technology?

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April Cooke

7 years ago

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Extremely black humor, 🤣

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Paul Elia

6 years ago

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Thanks for this....I have been looking for a black paint with this reflectivity and ordered 2 bottles today.

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Mike Heck

7 years ago

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"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

It's an old quote, but it had to be done.

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- Mackenzie Leighton
  
  Mike Heck
  
  7 years ago
  
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  Its like a pastel black ...
  
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Dyann Jaxon

7 years ago

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Some people are still reporting Non-PC to the Marshmallow Cops?
Someone got your funny bone?
Personally, I LOVE this stuff; and it's Acrylic! What's not to love, besides Anish Kapoor?

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Jay Davis

7 years ago

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I'm wary of making things to personal at the cost of professionalism.

I would like to try this stuff and apply it to some product work.

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