Two Fictional Artists: Jusep Torres Campalans and Nat Tate

The article explores the fictional artists Jusep Torres Campalans and Nat Tate, created by writers Max Aub and William Boyd respectively. Torres Campalans was invented by Aub in his 1958 book, later published by Gallimard in 1961, as a forgotten painter met in Chiapas, Mexico. Nat Tate was created by Boyd with David Bowie and Karen Wright, presented in a 1998 monograph at Jeff Koons' studio. Both hoaxes include fake artworks, photographs, and biographies, with clues revealing their fictional nature. Aub's Campalans critiques art world mythmaking, while Boyd's Tate targets the Young British Artists and Abstract Expressionism. The article details the elaborate backstories, including Tate's suicide on Bowie's birthday and Campalans' connections to real artists like Picasso. The hoaxes have gained cult status, with some still believing in their existence.