Tuesday, November 03, 2015

"[I]n the face of lawsuits from disgruntled collectors ..., most foundations shuttered their authentication committees."

"However, ArtNews reports that well-known Warhol expert Richard Polsky has launched a new one-man Warhol authentication service. Only $2,500 per! While Polsky can probably avoid at least some of the conflict of interest allegations that hounded the Warhol Foundation's late Art Authentication Board, I anticipate other potential issues. For example, it seems that Polsky has a rather strong incentive to lean in favor of finding that works are authentic. Curiously, his authentication service only requires the submission of digital photos. Perhaps he plans to look at the actual works in question if he is uncertain? But then again, in the ArtNews interview, Polsky repeatedly claims a 'sixth sense' as to whether putative Warhol's are authentic. With great power comes great responsibility? I'm not sure I trust Polsky's spider-sense as much as he does."

Brian Frye on art forgery and its discontents.