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1,000 Coats of Paint

Updated: Mar 21, 2022

In 1990-1991, The Art Guys painted everyday objects in their studio with 1,000 coats of paint. The objects were mounted on glass, and a master chart of each coat color was maintained. As each coat of paint was added, the object became more and more amorphous until it was an indistinguishable blob. The original object was visible underneath through the glass, and as they often did, The Art Guys mounted engraved plaques on each piece to identify it.



In 1998, Absolut Vodka approached The Art Guys to create a billboard advertisement. The Art Guys proposed a 1,000 Coat of Paint billboard, with a giant foam Absolut bottle and the words "Absolut Art Guys" painted over a 10-month period by That's Painting Productions, a Houston-based painting company. The billboard, located in Houston on the 610 West Loop at the corner of Post Oak Boulevard, was so successful that it was replicated in Miami and Los Angeles.



96 Comments


ZeeshanRauf Gurjar
ZeeshanRauf Gurjar
a few seconds ago

Great interview, but if I'm being honest felt more like 'why I'm still a Calvinist' than 'Christian'. I respect that Kristen's faith tradition is important to her, and she can obviously share to the level she feels comfortable with and no more, but this was a very intellectual conversation. I'd have appreciated hearing more about Kristen's personal faith in Jesus Himself and why that is not shaken despite the attacks she's endured. shoyoroll bjj gi

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Kinan Tea
Kinan Tea
a day ago

awareness of the different types of dump trucks is essential for effective construction management. equipment selection influences safety, efficiency, and timelines. developing professional skills alongside technical knowledge enhances project outcomes. the college of contract management delivers learning that reflects real construction environments.

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Adrian Anderson
Adrian Anderson
Dec 24, 2025

This project perfectly captures how repetition can completely transform meaning, watching familiar objects slowly disappear under layers of paint until they become something else entirely. By the second moment I was reading, I oddly thought about how sometimes you just want to Pay someone to do my biology class when processes feel endless and abstract, much like those 1,000 coats. The contrast between the hidden original object and the plaque grounding its identity makes the work feel thoughtful rather than chaotic.

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bakeradam206
Dec 24, 2025

This story about layering a thousand coats of paint really resonated because it shows how patience and persistence create something remarkable. I felt the same way during a particularly tough semester, slowly working through accounting concepts that initially seemed overwhelming. At one point, I even sought online Accounting exam help just to make sure I was keeping up, and that extra guidance, layer by layer, made the difference between feeling lost and actually mastering the material.

Edited
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Harry Blake
Harry Blake
Dec 24, 2025

Reading about The Art Guys’ 1,000 coats of paint the way something familiar slowly becomes enigmatic through patience and repetition reminded me of my own academic journey, especially tight nights before submission. The overlooked layers of revision often make all the difference, and finding reliable Capstone editing services for university students taught me how to refine ideas into clarity and confidence, just as each coat eventually reveals a unique texture in this wild experiment

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