![]() ![]() ![]() Once we caught up, she came straight to the point, “Can you help us authenticate Alice’s painting?” When Ruth Bloom found me, she realized we actually knew each other from her days as a gallerist in Santa Monica. Shep’s question to Ruth was whether she knew of anyone who could authenticate the painting and help bring it to market. Nor did it appear in the Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné (a compendium of virtually every known painting by the artist). The problem was the painting had never been authenticated. Gordon’s many high-profile clients was Alice Cooper, mentioning that Alice owned an Andy Warhol painting that he was interested in selling. One day, the Blooms were having dinner with rock world talent manager Shep Gordon. She and her husband, the Hollywood attorney Jake Bloom, were also collectors. During the 1980s, Ruth owned a gallery in Santa Monica called Meyers/Bloom, which eventually became Ruth Bloom Gallery. Such was the case in 2017, when I received an inquiry from a Los Angeles collector named Ruth Bloom. Yet every now and then, I’m shown a picture that at first glance appears to be authentic. But what if it is? I’m going to make a killing! As an art authenticator, I’m often hired to look into these “bargains.” Alas, these adventures always end badly. A potential buyer wants to believe he’s spotted an anomaly and decides to pounce. A work bears an affinity to a famous artist and is listed with a ludicrously low opening bid. A day doesn’t go by where multiple regional auction houses somewhere on the planet are offering one or more blatant fakes. I’m referring to the absurd number of phony Warhols, Basquiats, Harings, and others which clog the online sales and auction platforms. Nor are we talking about the other extreme - the “trash” markets of counterfeit Chagalls, Miros, and Dalis. We’re not talking about the high-profile purported Leonardo Salvator Mundi, which sold for an obscene $450 million at Christies, in 2017. Over the years, the biggest change I’ve witnessed in the art scene is how it’s transitioned from the “art world” to the “art market.” That and the number of forgeries which continue to trickle out. Whether you’re a major player who bankrolls guarantees for Sotheby’s, or just a mere speculator looking to flip a recent purchase, everything comes down to investment. They immediately warehouse it - so it can be sold more conveniently when the timing is right. Some buyers don’t even bother to take delivery of their art. Regardless, all you hear about now are financial strategies. But turning a profit was not the primary motivation. ![]() Of course, you intuitively knew if you bought a quality painting chances were it would appreciate. You derived joy and satisfaction from your relationships and travels. You developed friendships with dealers, hung out at artists’ studios, and visited the world’s finest museums. And that’s what lies at the core of the art authentication business.īack in 1978, when I first got involved in the art world, people bought art because they wanted to live with it. Besides a jolt to the ego, the real issue is they now won’t be able to sell their picture for a lot of money. ![]() It’s hard to accept that your painting is a fake. As an art authenticator, it seems like once a year someone hires me and then ends up wanting their money back - and the reason why is always the same. ![]()
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