Oh yeah, more art market shenanigans!

[Bartc]

Take a look at this.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/fake-artists-collectors-instagram-2059155

 

[AES]

I am weirdly reminded of this guy, but for art.

Even one of the duped collectors who bought a work by Kraus said it was a clever demonstration of “how easy it is to manipulate the art market. “Similar things happen all the time, and also higher up in the food chain,” the Europe-based art buyer said. “This was just a new way of doing it.” They even plan to keep the work because the story “makes [the work] more interesting.”

Lawyer Till Dunckle says that, legally, an artist can call themselves whatever they want. “So if the name ‘Moritz Kraus’ is only a fictitious designation for the true author, this is not only legally irrelevant, but also widespread,” he said. He said that use of a pseudonym by several, cooperating authors, however, could enter dubious legal ground because “a buyer will usually assume that the same author is always concealed behind ‘Moritz Kraus.'”

It sounds like they like getting scammed. This actually explains everything...

 

[P. Barrie]

He said. He said....who said? Sounds like a scam. The article was poorly written as well.

 

[Artyczar]

Buyer beware. It's like a used car salesman saying that a car once belonged to some celebrity and the buyer suddenly wants it more. People want things more when something seems "hot," hype, lies, or whatever. There are fine lines, white lies, and just outright lies and scams. Like lying on your CV--saying you have shown at a certain museum or graduated at some ivy league school.

I know a photographer that got into one of the biggest galleries in the world because she hyped press and other PR that never existed and now she is one of the hottest photographers there are selling at big prices. It's annoying to be sure, but this is how things are. No one seems to care. The gallery she is in is infamous for scamming his artists and his collectors out of loads of money (millions), yet he stays in business. How? I do not know.

 

[16ga]

The gallery she is in is infamous for scamming his artists and his collectors out of loads of money (millions), yet he stays in business. How? I do not know.

If they're scamming people out of millions then they have plenty of money for lawyers, bribs, and payoffs.

 

[Artyczar]

If they're scamming people out of millions then they have plenty of money for lawyers, bribs, and payoffs.

I guess you're right.

 

[E.J.H.]

Just talking about this with my wife, and we wonder, can there actually exist something like a "fake artist"...?

 

[Artyczar]

Just talking about this with my wife, and we wonder, can there actually exist something like a "fake artist"...?

Sure, I don't see why not, but what would be the tangible product and who would be making it?

 

[E.J.H.]

Well it was a very light hearted conversation off course. but I remember a topic here on this forum about an artist actually selling non existant sculptures. So "tangible"at least does not seem to be a requirement

 

[Artyczar]

Yes, I remember that conversation too. So yep. It's true, isn't it.

 

[bob]

the art world is fraught with scandal & money laundering