Had a quick scan yesterday, and bookmarked this for later reading. As you know, I'm artistically inclined as well.:Biggrin2:
As far as I can see, his real "crime" was to highlight the negligence of the self assessed experts who authenticated the paintings.
He only copied the "style" of several artists, and had the talent to do it. Picking "missing", or known stolen, paintings is another "masterstroke".
If you've got a stolen original, you're not going to complain about a copy. He spotted a gap in the market, and exploited it, isn't that what the
much vaunted entrepreneurs do? It just happened to be the gullible, snobbery, investment market, still rife with more money than sense,
and it deserves all it gets. If you like the art in a personal way, a good copy is perfectly adequate, why do you need an "expert" to authenticate
an original, except for potential future sale. I don't know whether you've seen the original Mona Lisa. If you haven't, you've not missed much.
Perhaps I lack talent, but I am qualified, with my CGE in art, among others. Never dared to take the advanced bullsh*t version though.
With a bit of practice, I could have forged a Hockney swimming pool, as could most people over nine years old. Never ceases to amaze.
We criticize other countries for blatant corruption, negligence, nepotism etc, but ours is just more subtle. Cosy little groups of "experts" in just
about every field you can think of, always ready to pop up on TV when the subject arises. I wonder how things go wrong with such "expertise"
on tap. Isn't it strange that scientists can almost get a vets bill from dinosaur bones, yet scientific examination can't date a painting.
And if they didn't get scientific examination, it's negligence, considering the sums involved. Could it be a higher fee to authenticate,
than to discredit, and that makes it fraud as well. Who should really be locked up, and are the jails big enough?
I don't have a sneaking admiration, mine's full blown.