Five years ago, Richard Prince, bad boy of the art world, made three paintings in disappearing ink, reports Paul Taylor of the New York Times.
Prince kept one and sold the others through galleries in New York and Los Angeles, although the dealers who sold them and the collectors who bought them were unaware of the gag.Things came to light only recently. When the imagery on the canvas started disappearing, the California collector called his gallery and complained. Both buyer and gallery director were furious.
"The funny thing," says Prince, "was that when I explained that the invisible painting was more or less unique and offered to give back the $15,000 or replace the painting, the collector wanted to keep it." The second buyer, according to the artist, has stored his painting and has not yet realized that the image is gone.