In 1998, Boyd published Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960, which presents the paintings and tragic biography of a supposed New York-based 1950s abstract expressionist painter named Nat Tate, who actually never existed and was, along with his paintings, a creation of Boyd's.
The name "Nat Tate" is derived from the names of the two leading British art galleries: the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery.