Histoire de faussaires: Un chef-d'oeuvre d'arnaque

Made You Look: A True Story about Fake Art. It is an American documentary, directed by Barry Avrich, about the largest art fraud in American history. A number of paintings falsely attributed to Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko were sold by a total of $ 80 million to covetous collectors. The movie focuses on the forgers and the art gallery owner and manager's cynicism and meanness. Yet, I was more shocked by the billionaires that bought the artworks and then asked for a reimbursement when the fake was revealed. Suddenly, they did not appreciate the beauty of the paintings they had purchased and hanged at their mansions. Had they ever done? In the broad picture of things, I think the documentary's most interesting message is about how some art has become a luxury good. This is defined by economists as a product that that must be sold in small quantity in order to maintain its reputational value, independently of their utility or, in this case, the aesthetic pleasure it might provide. It involves a total challenge to the abstract art originated in the 1950s that was despised and derided for many years but became the object of braggadocio and speculation a few decades later. Perhaps an ephemeral outburst?

..never seem to be touched by justice. How obvious it was from the beginning to me that the minority and way less privileged would be imprisoned and the dealer that is making 800% profit roams free. Anne Freedman loved the attention and status she got from those paintings, and did everything to keep the illusion alive. That was were she became a criminal. A conniving one. It's written all over her ugly face. All those pictures of here in those artsy circle jerk super 'elite' gatherings, prancing around in a fur coat are just nauseating.

So many unlikeable people in one documentary. I'd rather be with the homeless and unprivileged then spend a day with these utterly poisonous, backstabbing, conniving, disgusting animals. ESPECIALLY the likes of an Anne Freedman. And that disgusting Sotheby couple.

There are people rotting in prison for stealing something worth less than a thousand bucks. Or for dealing a bit of marihuana. Here we have a dealer of fake goods- knowingly- making millions of profit...and she roams free. No guilt, no remorse. This is not just the privilege of being rich, this is the result of a combination of privileges and the profit of being covered by your own 'kind'.

Good documentary. Naaaaasty people.

For real. I literally and honestly laughed out loud multiple times. How anyone can have "their breath taken away" by a blob of color on canvas is beyond me. Furthermore, paying over $8 mil for that? You get what you deserve when it's fake. The docu itself is done fine. It was interesting, even to someone who can't stand what most consider art. These people are so pretentious, it makes ones stomach roll.

A very well presented documentary and a scathing indictment of abstract expressionist art, in that it can be so easily forged and accepted as original art by every top, bona fide art expert. Well not ALL the experts. The forensic scientists that were called upon to test the paintings, proved beyond all doubt that these were100% forgeries.

The eminently guilty gallery director, Ann Freeman, had a one of the fake Jackson Pollock's hanging on her wall for ten years....WITH HIS SIGNATURE'S NAME MIS-SPELLED! That's right! Pollock mis-spelled his own name when he signed the front of his painting. I think that's a big red flag, huh?

What was so startling in this doc was, much like Bernie Madoff and his greedy clients, there was enough blatant, drooling avarice on the part of gallery owner, the gallery director, the painting's seller AND the painting's buyers, that I think they ALL got what they deserved....sort of.

Disheartening at best, as the rich never really lose, never feel remorse and everyone pretty much gets back to business as usual.

I have to admit, I was not eve aware of this story. And the story is real ... unlike the art on display here. Which is fake - and either apparently fake or not so much. Now are we gullible and believe one side or are we with those who were confident from the start? Not an easy question to answer for sure.

The really good thing here is that you get both sides (or even more) and can make your own ... picture! Just be sure not to pretend your own picture isn't a classical painting by someone else ... wait does that make sense? Maybe not, but it sounded funny. And while the subject matter is quite serious I personally found quite a lot of comedy in this too. What's your verdict then?