Taco Bell artwork black market is thriving

There’s a vibrant black market for artwork stolen from the walls of Taco Bell locations across the US. More than 20 years ago, the fast food chain commissioned artist Mark T. Smith to create artwork for its restaurants; he came up with a set of eccentric, Maxfield Parrish-inspired pieces designed with acrylic, crayon, and cut paper.

Smith estimates copies of the paintings went up in some 4,000 Taco Bell locations — but some have been stolen and resold, Artnet wrote. Stolen paintings are going for up to $8,500 on eBay. “I think it’s really cool,” Smith said. “There is this whole subculture of collecting and trading and stealing.”