Tag: Art

According to a report compiled by Arts Economics, the art market in 2012 reached 66 billion dollars internationally. This market, though extremely volatile and unpredictable, has endless potential, and has been on it ways up ever since the end of the recession a few years ago. Galleries, such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and many more, have received their fair share of the wealth created by the ever-increasing demand and interest in such a high-end market. There are many people out there, however, who doubt the sincerity and significance of such a complex and baffling industry.

Knoedler and Co. Art Gallery

In 2011, an extremely revered gallery, Knoedler and Co., closed due to the 32 reported illegal-dealings of paintings; which were later deemed to be forged. According to the article “Lawsuits in Knoedler Forgery Case Are Set for Trial” by Graham Bowley, the President of this gallery is about to appear in court for two separate lawsuits pertaining to multiple forgery cases at the firm. Ms. Freedman, who is the former President of Knoedler and Co., is currently being sued for the knowledge of these criminal acts, and for acting with “fraudulent intent.” Among the pieces which were forged and then sold, are famous works by Jackson Pollack, Willem De Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Robert Motherwell.

The forged art items were sold directly to the gallery by Glafira Rosales, a Long Island art dealer. Federal officials concluded that Rosales used the legitimacy of the venerable gallery to create such authenticity of the paintings. Once the gallery took possession of these items, it was the responsibility of their own to confirm the validity of the works before selling them off. The lawyers for Ms. Freedman stated that Ms. Freedman put up her best effort to verify all the works, including having gallery staffers research about them. Additionally, Ms. Freedman said she “widely exhibited the paintings in places where their attribution could have been challenged.” Ms Freedman had even bought a few pieces herself. These short few statements regarding the forged works made me question the entire idea behind such a longstanding business.

Glafira Rosales at court

When I think of great art, I think of something that has a positively lasting impression on me, rather than a direct impression on someone else. The entire art market is based off the credibility and the “eyes” of others. Regarding this case, if a certain work by Willem De Kooning did not strike me as phenomenal and remarkable, should it then be recognized as such a noteworthy and pricey piece of art? If Ms. Freedman’s accounts about the exhibition of all forged works is truthful, then it seems as if even the most renowned critics and aficionados cannot tell the difference between real works and fake works. It is here that I have the most trouble with this industry. If one is able to replicate a famous work of art, and the buyer cannot tell the difference between the real one and the fake one, then it is just puzzling as to why a buyer would pay significant sums of money for such a piece.

“Foregery”/Replications of the Mona Lisa

In my opinion, Pei Shen Qian, the mastermind and forger behind all these illegal and counterfeit pieces, is the true artist at hand. If one is able to replicate the works of such celebrated and popular artists, while many experts cannot find the smallest of differences, then that is art in itself. Imitation has proven to be a common technique in many forms of art, and painting should not be any different. It is understandable that people want the real piece that is worth value. Nonetheless, I still find the entire system to be incredibly flawed when commoners are able to fool the specialists; and in some cases get away with it—Qian has recently fled to China, and sure enough does not plan on returning anytime soon.

This scandal alone has given rise to ten civil suits in total. In an industry that is worth 66 billion dollars annually, and counting, it seems as if there is a possibility that many more instances like this will arise in the future. The question comes down to whether these activities are wholly illegal, or if they contain some artistic proficiency.